Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

A Multidimensional Spectral Description of Ocean Variability

A Multidimensional Spectral Description of Ocean Variability An updated empirical, analytical model for the frequency and wavenumber distribution of balanced motion in the ocean is presented. The spectrum model spans periods longer than the inertial but shorter than a decade and wavelengths between 100 and 10 000 km. Assuming geostrophic dynamics, a spectrum model for the streamfunction is constructed to be consistent with a range of observations, including sea surface height from satellite altimetry, velocity from moored and shipboard instruments, and temperature from moorings. First-order characteristics of the observed spectra, including amplitude and spectral moments, vary slowly geographically. The spectrum model is horizontally anisotropic, accommodating observations that zonal wavenumber–frequency spectra are dominated by a “nondispersive line.” Qualitative and quantitative agreement is found with one-dimensional frequency and wavenumber spectra and observed vertical profiles of variance. Illustrative application is made of the model spectrum to observing-system design, data mapping, and uncertainty estimation for trends. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Physical Oceanography American Meteorological Society

A Multidimensional Spectral Description of Ocean Variability

Loading next page...
 
/lp/american-meteorological-society/a-multidimensional-spectral-description-of-ocean-variability-slibgdka0H

References

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
American Meteorological Society
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 American Meteorological Society
ISSN
0022-3670
eISSN
1520-0485
DOI
10.1175/JPO-D-13-0113.1
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

An updated empirical, analytical model for the frequency and wavenumber distribution of balanced motion in the ocean is presented. The spectrum model spans periods longer than the inertial but shorter than a decade and wavelengths between 100 and 10 000 km. Assuming geostrophic dynamics, a spectrum model for the streamfunction is constructed to be consistent with a range of observations, including sea surface height from satellite altimetry, velocity from moored and shipboard instruments, and temperature from moorings. First-order characteristics of the observed spectra, including amplitude and spectral moments, vary slowly geographically. The spectrum model is horizontally anisotropic, accommodating observations that zonal wavenumber–frequency spectra are dominated by a “nondispersive line.” Qualitative and quantitative agreement is found with one-dimensional frequency and wavenumber spectra and observed vertical profiles of variance. Illustrative application is made of the model spectrum to observing-system design, data mapping, and uncertainty estimation for trends.

Journal

Journal of Physical OceanographyAmerican Meteorological Society

Published: May 14, 2013

References