Response to the reviwer #1 of Simon Barbot et al. “Intermediate water flows ... Argo floats”

The Nordic Seas play an important role in global climate change. Compared with other areas, this region has the largest ocean surface and air positive temperature anomalies in the world. It is particularly important for the water masses formation and modification and for interactions between the ocean and atmosphere. This region is also the main route for freshwater and heat exchange between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean.Because the ship-borne measurements are performed usually during the spring to the autumn season, there is no data to analyze seasonal changes in the intermediate and deep water. The Argo floats, operating throughout the whole year, allow observation of seasonal changes that occur in particular regions. This is especially important in the Nordic Seas, where conditions of the oceanographic observations are very difficult even during the summer.In this study we analyze hydrographic data collected by the Argo floats in the eastern part of the Nordic Seas region in 2008-2017. Based on the data, both the temporal and spatial variability of the basic physical parameters of the intermediate and deep water were analyzed. It allowed determining how the properties of these waters changed both seasonally and spatially.The study was funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland under grant agreement No. DIR/WK/2016/12 for the research infrastructure EURO-ARGO ERIC and the National Science Centre, Poland within the DWINS Project (2016/21/N/ST10/02920).

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Intermediate water flows in the western South Pacific: as revealed by individual Argo floats trajectories and a model re-analysis

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-15-4103-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (13) ◽

pp. 4103-4124 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Simon Barbot ◽

Anne Petrenko ◽

Christophe Maes

Keyword(s):

South Pacific ◽

Velocity Shear ◽

Cyclonic Eddy ◽

Intermediate Water ◽

Argo Floats ◽

Mesoscale Dynamics ◽

Zonal Jets ◽

The North ◽

South Pacific Ocean ◽

Deep Waters

Abstract. Thanks to the autonomous Argo floats of the OUTPACE cruise (Oligotrophy to UlTra-oligotrophy PACific Experiment) and of the THOT (TaHitian Ocean Time series) project, some features of intermediate-flow dynamics, at around 1000 m depth, within the central and western South Pacific Ocean (around 19∘ S, 156∘ E–150∘ W) are described. In the Coral Sea, we highlight minima in dissolved oxygen of 140 µmol kg−1 that are associated with the signature of a southward transport of waters between two zonal jets: from the North Vanuatu Jet to the North Caledonia Jet. This transport takes place in the core of a cyclonic eddy or via the path between a cyclonic eddy and an anticyclonic one, highlighting the importance of mesoscale dynamics in upper thermocline and surface layers. Further east, we observe a strong meridional velocity shear with long-term float trajectories going either eastward or westward in the lower thermocline. More interestingly, these trajectories also exhibit some oscillatory features. Those trajectories can be explained by a single Rossby wave of 160-day duration and 855 km wavelength. Considering the thermohaline context, we confirm the meridional shear of zonal velocity and highlight a permanent density front that corresponds to the interface between Antarctic intermediate waters and North Pacific deep waters. Hence both circulation and thermohaline contexts are highly prone to instabilities and wave propagation.

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Macroeconomic Accounting of Water Resources: An Input-Output Approach to Linkage Analysis and Impact Indicators Applied to the State of Ceará, Brazil

Water ◽

10.3390/w13060869 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 869

Author(s):

Rogério Barbosa Soares ◽

Samiria Maria Oliveira da Silva ◽

Francisco de Assis de Souza Filho ◽

Witalo de Lima Paiva

Keyword(s):

Water Consumption ◽

Water Demand ◽

Water Security ◽

Household Consumption ◽

Joint Analysis ◽

Intermediate Water ◽

Input Output ◽

Economic Sectors ◽

Agriculture Sector ◽

Water Flows

This work aims to identify the key sectors of the economic structure, considering their water flows, and estimate each sector’s impact. The goal is to highlight systemic characteristics in the regional economy, establish water use priorities, and assess water security. Based on a regional input-output matrix, we use the following methodologies: the Rasmussen and Hirschman indices for the ‘forward and backward linkages’; simple multipliers of production, job, and income; and the elasticity of water consumption to final water demand. Thirty-two economic sectors and household consumption are analysed. From the elasticity of final water demand, we find that both trade and household consumption put more pressure on water consumption. Furthermore, a joint analysis of the applied methodologies shows that: (a) the trade sector is more relevant for the linkage of water flows, (b) the agriculture sector has the highest direct water consumption, and (c) the public administration sector has the highest intermediate water consumption.

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Canterbury Drifts at Ocean Drilling Program Site 1119, New Zealand: Climatic modulation of southwest Pacific intermediate water flows since 3.9 Ma

Geology ◽

10.1130/g20783.1 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 32 (11) ◽

pp. 1005 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

R.M. Carter ◽

C.S. Fulthorpe ◽

H. Lu

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Intermediate Water ◽

Ocean Drilling Program ◽

Southwest Pacific ◽

Ocean Drilling ◽

Water Flows

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Intermediate water flows in the South West Pacific from OUTPACE and THOT Argo floats

10.5194/bg-2018-139 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Simon Barbot ◽

Anne Petrenko ◽

Christophe Maes

Keyword(s):

Velocity Shear ◽

Cyclonic Eddy ◽

Intermediate Water ◽

Central Pacific ◽

Argo Floats ◽

Central Pacific Ocean ◽

Mesoscale Dynamics ◽

Zonal Jets ◽

The North ◽

Deep Waters

Abstract. Thanks to the autonomous Argo floats of the OUTPACE cruise and of the THOT project, some features of intermediate flow dynamics, around 1000 m depth, within the Southwest and Central Pacific Ocean (156° E–150° W, around 19° S) are described. In the Coral sea, we highlight minima in dissolved oxygen of 140 μmol kg−1 that are associated with the signature of a southward transport of waters between two zonal jets: from the North Vanuatu Jet to the North Caledonia Jet. This transport takes place in the core of a cyclonic eddy or via the path between a cyclonic eddy and an anticyclonic one, highlighting the importance of mesoscale dynamics in upper thermocline and surface layers. Further east, we observe a strong meridional velocity shear with long-term float trajectories going either eastward or westward in the lower thermocline. More interestingly, these trajectories also exhibit some oscillatory features. Those trajectories can be explained by a single Rossby wave of 160 days period and 855 km wavelength. Considering the thermohaline context, we confirm the meridional shear of zonal velocity and highlight a permanent density front that corresponds to the interface between Antarctic Intermediate Waters and North Pacific Deep Waters. Hence both circulation and thermohaline contexts are highly favorable to instabilities and wave propagation.

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Recent hydrological status of the Aegean Sea derived from free drifting profilers

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.24833 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

DIMITRIS KASSIS ◽

GERASIMOS KORRES

Keyword(s):

Physical Properties ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Water Column ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Temporal Distribution ◽

Aegean Sea ◽

Water Masses ◽

Latitudinal Gradients ◽

Intermediate Water ◽

Argo Floats

Being a semi-enclosed basin of the Mediterranean Sea, the Aegean Sea comprises a complex hydrology that plays a significant role in the hydrology of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its interaction with many sub-basins, along with its contribution towards the formation of deep and intermediate water, makes it an ideal case for the study of hydrological changes in transitional areas. Since 2010, the operational monitoring of the basin has been significantly enriched due to the deployment of autonomous free-drifting profilers (Argo floats) under the framework of the newly formed Greek Argo Research Infrastructure activities. In this study the hydrological status of the area is examined for the period 2010 - 2017 using the temperature and salinity profiles acquired from Argo floats that operated in the basin. The profiles are analyzed together with complementary remote sensing and model outputs datasets in order to present the spatio-temporal distribution of the co-existent water masses and shed light on hydrological features and changes that took place throughout the basin in an attempt to reassess its hydrological status during the last decade. The distribution of the physical properties in different sub-regions and their interaction is examined reconstructing a general picture of strong latitudinal gradients in the T-S and σθ fields from the upper layers towards the deeper zones. Interannually, findings indicate changes of the Aegean water masses structure within the water-column. Deep homogenization in the upper layers is recorded mainly during the winter periods of 2011-2012, 2014-2015 and 2016-2017 in the southern, central, and northern parts of the area accordingly. The observed dense water formation events, along with mixing and advection appear to alterate the water column physical properties structure and affect the dynamics of the surface and sub-surface dominant water masses in the Aegean. The results further highlight the valuable information that can be extracted from the operation of free-drifting profilers in enclosed marginal seas similar to the Aegean case.

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Eddies Observed by Argo Floats. Part I: Eddy Transport in the Upper 1000 dbar

Journal of Physical Oceanography ◽

10.1175/jpo-d-16-0150.1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 46 (11) ◽

pp. 3471-3486 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Katsuro Katsumata

Keyword(s):

North Atlantic ◽

Kuroshio Extension ◽

Intermediate Water ◽

Diffusivity Coefficient ◽

North Atlantic Current ◽

Argo Floats ◽

The North ◽

South Indian ◽

Eddy Transport ◽

The North Atlantic

AbstractArgo floats measure horizontal current velocities at the parking depth and vertical profiles of temperature and salinity. The data are sufficient for simultaneous estimates of velocities and vertical displacements of isopycnal surfaces. More than 980 000 pairs of observations of current velocity and water column stratification were used to calculate eddy transport above 1000 dbar and its uncertainty based on the temporal-residual-mean framework. Eddy transports larger than 1.0 m2 s−1 were found in the North Atlantic, western North Pacific, and Southern Oceans. The eddy transport T had components perpendicular and parallel to the density contours at 1000 dbar. In the midlatitude oceans, eddy transport was weaker (<0.5 m2 s−1), mostly perpendicular to the density contours, and equatorward. A large area of northward was found in the south Indian Ocean; analysis of velocity and thickness perturbations suggested that this transport was a northward intrusion of Antarctic Intermediate Water. In the midlatitude oceans and in most of the southern part of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), was generally upgradient in density on 1000 dbar. Downgradient was found along the North Atlantic Current and Kuroshio Extension as well as in the northern part of the ACC. Zonally integrated meridional transport was poleward at latitudes higher than approximately 40° and equatorward at lower latitudes. The quasi-Stokes or Gent–McWilliams diffusivity coefficient was on the order of 1000 m2 s−1 but was associated with such large uncertainty that it was statistically indistinguishable from zero, except at midlatitudes in the Southern Hemisphere.

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