scholarly journals Sensitivity of Antarctic Circumpolar Current Transport and Eddy Activity to Wind Patterns in the Southern Ocean

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 1051-1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clothilde E. Langlais ◽  
Stephen R. Rintoul ◽  
Jan D. Zika
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Antarctic Circumpolar Current ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Southern Annular Mode ◽  
Wind Forcing ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Eddy Activity ◽  
Eddy Field ◽  
Circumpolar Current ◽  
Baroclinic Transport

AbstractThe Southern Hemisphere westerly winds have intensified in recent decades associated with a positive trend in the southern annular mode (SAM). However, the response of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) transport and eddy field to wind forcing remains a topic of debate. This study uses global eddy-permitting ocean circulation models driven with both idealized and realistic wind forcing to explore the response to interannual wind strengthening. The response of the barotropic and baroclinic transports and eddy field of the ACC is found to depend on the spatial pattern of the changes in wind forcing. In isolation, an enhancement of the westerlies over the ACC belt leads to an increase of both barotropic and baroclinic transport within the ACC envelope, with lagged enhancement of the eddy kinetic energy (EKE). In contrast, an increase in wind forcing near Antarctica drives a largely barotropic change in transport along closed f/H contours (“free mode”), with little change in eddy activity. Under realistic forcing, the interplay of the SAM and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influences the spatial distribution of the wind anomalies, in particular the partition between changes in the wind stress over the ACC and along f/H contours. This study finds that the occurrence of a negative or positive ENSO during a positive SAM can cancel or double the wind anomalies near Antarctica, altering the response of the ACC and its eddy field. While a negative ENSO and positive SAM favors an increase in EKE, a positive ENSO and positive SAM lead to barotropic transport changes and no eddy response.

scholarly journals Meridional displacement of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

2014 ◽  
Vol 372 (2019) ◽  
pp. 20130273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah T. Gille
Keyword(s):  
Antarctic Circumpolar Current ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Southern Annular Mode ◽  
Sea Surface Height ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Eddy Heat Transport ◽  
Circumpolar Current

Observed long-term warming trends in the Southern Ocean have been interpreted as a sign of increased poleward eddy heat transport or of a poleward displacement of the entire Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) frontal system. The two-decade-long record from satellite altimetry is an important source of information for evaluating the mechanisms governing these trends. While several recent studies have used sea surface height contours to index ACC frontal displacements, here altimeter data are instead used to track the latitude of mean ACC transport. Altimetric height contours indicate a poleward trend, regardless of whether they are associated with ACC fronts. The zonally averaged transport latitude index shows no long-term trend, implying that ACC meridional shifts determined from sea surface height might be associated with large-scale changes in sea surface height more than with localized shifts in frontal positions. The transport latitude index is weakly sensitive to the Southern Annular Mode, but is uncorrelated with El Niño/Southern Oscillation.

scholarly journals On the Variability of Antarctic Circumpolar Current Fronts Inferred from 1992–2011 Altimetry*

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 3054-3071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Sun Kim ◽  
Alejandro H. Orsi
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Antarctic Circumpolar Current ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Climate Signal ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Southeast Pacific ◽  
Circumpolar Current

Abstract Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) fronts, defined as water mass boundaries, have been known to respond to large-scale atmospheric variabilities, especially the Southern Hemisphere annular mode (SAM) and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Distinct patterns of localized variability in meridional front displacements during 1992–2011 are derived from the analysis of satellite sea surface height data. Major basin-scale differences are found between the southeast Pacific (150°–90°W) and the southeast Indian (75°–150°E) sectors of the ACC. Frontal positions in the southeast Pacific show large year-to-year meridional fluctuations, attributed mostly to ENSO and in part SAM, and no apparent seasonal cycles or long-term trends. In contrast, summer (winter) frontal locations in the southeast Indian extend farther to the south (north) of their long-term mean distribution. A southward drift of ACC fronts is indicated over the Indian sector during the past two decades. This long-term shift is not directly related to the atmospheric variabilities, but this is most likely in response to changes in large-scale ocean circulation, in particular to the poleward expansion of the Indian subtropical gyre. The existence of these localized, contrasting variability patterns suggests that a circumpolar-averaging analysis could possibly smooth out a local climate signal, with an emphasis on a basin-scale investigation for climate studies in the Southern Ocean.

scholarly journals Coupling Influences of ENSO and PDO on the Inter-Decadal SST Variability of the ACC around the Western South Atlantic

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 4853
Author(s):  
You-Lin Wang ◽  
Yu-Chen Hsu ◽  
Chung-Pan Lee ◽  
Chau-Ron Wu
Keyword(s):  
Antarctic Circumpolar Current ◽  
Water Mass ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Drake Passage ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Sst Variability ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Circumpolar Current ◽  
The Antarctic

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) plays an important role in the climate as it balances heat energy and water mass between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans through the Drake Passage. However, because the historical measurements and observations are extremely limited, the decadal and long-term variations of the ACC around the western South Atlantic Ocean are rarely studied. By analyzing reconstructed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in a 147-year period (1870–2016), previous studies have shown that SST anomalies (SSTAs) around the Antarctic Peninsula and South America had the same phase change as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This study further showed that changes in SSTAs in the regions mentioned above were enlarged when the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the ENSO were in the same warm or cold phase, implying that changes in the SST of higher latitude oceans could be enhanced when the influence of the ENSO is considered along with the PDO.

scholarly journals Response of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current to Atmospheric Variability

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 3020-3039 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Sallée ◽  
K. Speer ◽  
R. Morrow
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Antarctic Circumpolar Current ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Atmospheric Forcing ◽  
Atmospheric Variability ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Circumpolar Current ◽  
The Antarctic

Abstract Historical hydrographic profiles, combined with recent Argo profiles, are used to obtain an estimate of the mean geostrophic circulation in the Southern Ocean. Thirteen years of altimetric sea level anomaly data are then added to reconstruct the time variable sea level, and this new dataset is analyzed to identify and monitor the position of the two main fronts of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) during the period 1993–2005. The authors relate their movements to the two main atmospheric climate modes of the Southern Hemisphere: the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The study finds that although the fronts are steered by the bathymetry, which sets their mean pathway on first order, in flat-bottom areas the fronts are subject to large meandering because of mesoscale activity and atmospheric forcing. While the dominant mode of atmospheric variability in the Southern Hemisphere, SAM, is relatively symmetric, the oceanic response of the fronts is not, showing substantial regional differences. Around the circumpolar belt the fronts vary in latitude, exposing them to different Ekman transport anomalies induced by the SAM. Three typical scenarios occur in response to atmospheric forcing: poleward movement of the frontal structure in the Indian Basin during positive SAM events, an equatorward movement in the central Pacific, and an intensification without substantial meridional movement in the Indo-Pacific basin. The study also shows the geographical regions that are dominated by a SAM or ENSO response at low and high frequencies.

scholarly journals THE MODEL STUDY OF THE WIND STRESS IMPACT TO THE INTERANNUAL VARIABILITY OF THE ANTARCTIC CIRCUMPOLAR CURRENT SOUTH OF AUSTRALIA

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.V. Lebedev
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Wind Stress ◽  
Numerical Experiments ◽  
Antarctic Circumpolar Current ◽  
Wind Forcing ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
The Real ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Circumpolar Current ◽  
The Antarctic

The interannual variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) in the region south of Australia is studied on the base of numerical simulations performed with the use of the Argo-based model for Investigation of the Global Ocean (AMIGO). The model consists of a block for variational interpolation to a regular grid of Argo floats data and a block for model hydrodynamic adjustment of variationally interpolated fields. The mean ACC transport for the period of 2005–2014 through the Australia-Antarctica section was estimated at 178±6 Sv (1 Sv = 106m3/с-1). Additional numerical experiments were carried out in order to study the contribution of the wind forcing to the interannual variability of the ACC transport: the real thermohaline fields corresponding to the particular time period were replaced by climatic ones (1) and by replacing the real wind forcing data with the climatic ones (2). Analysis of the numerical experiments results has shown that the variable wind stress forcing is the key factor determining the interannual variability of the ACC transport through the Australia-Antarctica section.

Millennial-scale variability in Antarctic Circumpolar Current and its impacts during the last glacial cycle

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuzhuang Wu ◽  
Frank Lamy ◽  
Gerhard Kuhn ◽  
Lester Lembke-Jene ◽  
Xu Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Antarctic Circumpolar Current ◽  
Drake Passage ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Glacial Cycle ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Circumpolar Current ◽  
Global Ocean Circulation ◽  
The Last Glacial ◽  
Millennial Scale

<p>The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is the largest current system in the world, linking the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean basins. However, the variability of the ACC, which plays a fundamental role on global ocean circulation and climate variability, is still poorly constrained. This information is crucial for understanding the role of the ACC on global ocean circulation in response to global warming. Here, we reconstruct changes in the ACC over the past 155,000 years based on sediment grain size variations recorded in a highly-resolved marine sedimentary record from the central Drake Passage near the Polar Front. Our results show significant changes in the ACC during the last glacial cycle and a remarkable boundary between the glacial and interglacial periods. Substantial decreases (~33% to ~47%) in the ACC flow speed from interglacial to glacial period, which corroborates and extends results of previous studies along the subantarctic northern limit of the ACC into the central Drake Passage. This strong variation of ACC likely plays a significant role in regulating Pacific-Atlantic water mass exchange via the “cold water route” and could significantly affect the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Superimposed on these glacial-interglacial changes, we found strong millennial-scale variations in ACC current speed, increasing in amplitude close to full glacial conditions. We hypothesise that the central ACC increases its sensitivity to Southern Hemisphere millennial-scale climates oscillations, likely associated with westerlies’ wind stress and Antarctic sea ice extent once glacial conditions fully formed.</p>

Variability in Southern Hemisphere Ocean Circulation from the 1980s to the 2000s

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (9) ◽  
pp. 1981-2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Katsumata ◽  
S. Masuda
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Antarctic Circumpolar Current ◽  
General Circulation Models ◽  
Polar Front ◽  
Inverse Model ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Circumpolar Current

Abstract Interannual-to-decadal variability of ocean circulation in the Southern Hemisphere was examined using data from the 1980s to the 2000s in a box inverse model to estimate transport across hydrographic sections and three ocean general circulation models (OGCMs). The westerly wind stress over the OGCM Southern Ocean showed a steady increase of 5%–8% decade−1. The meridional overturning circulation was quantified by the transport across 30°S. The OGCMs suggested a slight strengthening [from 0.2 ± 1.0 to 0.8 ± 1.3 Sv decade−1 (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1)] of the upper meridional cell (Deacon cell) and two OGCMs showed a weakening (−0.8 ± 0.6 and −1.0 ± 0.3 Sv decade−1) of the lower meridional [Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW)] cell, partly explained by contraction of the AABW volume. The box inverse estimates did not contradict these two findings. For Antarctic Circumpolar Current transport, quantified by zonal transport across four key sections, the box inverse model estimated a decrease of 5–21 Sv. Decomposition of the decrease into baroclinic transport by the Subantarctic and Polar Fronts, barotropic transport, and others shows that the decrease is mostly due to barotropic transport and transport carried by the flow north of the Subantarctic Front and south of the Polar Front. In the OGCMs, the variability of transport across key sections is often correlated with transport carried by a flow south of the Polar Front and with the southern annular mode index. In all models, then, the transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, defined as the transport carried by the fronts, has not decreased significantly over the study period.

scholarly journals Southern Ocean overturning across streamlines in an eddying simulation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Ocean Science ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 491-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Treguier ◽  
M. H. England ◽  
S. R. Rintoul ◽  
G. Madec ◽  
J. Le Sommer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Antarctic Circumpolar Current ◽  
Meridional Circulation ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Residual Circulation ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Buoyancy Forcing ◽  
Circumpolar Current ◽  
Surface Buoyancy ◽  
The Antarctic

Abstract. An eddying global model is used to study the characteristics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) in a streamline-following framework. Previous model-based estimates of the meridional circulation were calculated using zonal averages: this method leads to a counter-intuitive poleward circulation of the less dense waters, and underestimates the eddy effects. We show that on the contrary, the upper ocean circulation across streamlines agrees with the theoretical view: an equatorward mean flow partially cancelled by a poleward eddy mass flux. Two model simulations, in which the buoyancy forcing above the ACC changes from positive to negative, suggest that the relationship between the residual meridional circulation and the surface buoyancy flux is not as straightforward as assumed by the simplest theoretical models: the sign of the residual circulation cannot be inferred from the surface buoyancy forcing only. Among the other processes that likely play a part in setting the meridional circulation, our model results emphasize the complex three-dimensional structure of the ACC (probably not well accounted for in streamline-averaged, two-dimensional models) and the distinct role of temperature and salinity in the definition of the density field. Heat and salt transports by the time-mean flow are important even across time-mean streamlines. Heat and salt are balanced in the ACC, the model drift being small, but the nonlinearity of the equation of state cannot be ignored in the density balance.

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