scholarly journals Surface currents and upwelling in Kerguelen Plateau regions

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 6845-6876 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Zhou ◽  
Y. Zhu ◽  
F. d'Ovidio ◽  
Y.-H. Park ◽  
I. Durand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Stress ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
World Ocean ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Surface Velocity ◽  
Kerguelen Plateau ◽  
Deep Basin ◽  
Wind Stress Curl ◽  
Kerguelen Islands

Abstract. Mean currents, horizontal diffusivity and upwelling on the Kerguelen Plateau and the deep basin east of the Kerguelen Islands were studied using 48 World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) Standard Surface Velocity Program (SVP) drifters deployed during the 2011 austral spring KEOPS II (KErguelen Ocean Plateau compared Study II) cruise. These drifter data were analyzed based on autocovariances for temporal scales, least-squares fitted streamfunctions for estimating mesoscale mean currents, wind stress fields and Ekman pumping, and Taylor's single particle diffusivity for estimating horizontal dispersion of surface waters. The results have revealed the shelfbreak current on the southern and eastern shelf slopes of the Kerguelen Islands, transport of surface waters from the Kerguelen–Heard shelf basin crossing the shelf slope into the deep basin off the plateau east of the Kerguelen Islands, and upwelling driven by wind stress curl in both the plateau and deep basin regions. The estimated volume transports off the Plateau in the upper 50 m based on surface drifters and below the mixed layer based on wind stress curl are 0.5 and 1.7 Sv, respectively, the mean and standard deviation of vertical velocities driven by wind stress curl averaged in the plateau and deep basin regions up to 3.2 ± 7.4 m d−1, and the upwelling fluxes in the surveyed plateau and deep basin regions are approximately 0.7 and 1.1 Sv, respectively. These physical transport processes can have significant effects on balances between biogeochemical elements and their recycling processes.

scholarly journals Weddell Sea Export Pathways from Surface Drifters

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 1068-1085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeleine K. Youngs ◽  
Andrew F. Thompson ◽  
M. Mar Flexas ◽  
Karen J. Heywood
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Wind Stress ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Weddell Sea ◽  
Surface Velocity ◽  
Wind Stress Curl ◽  
Weddell Gyre ◽  
Surface Circulation ◽  
Surface Drifters ◽  
The Antarctic

AbstractThe complex export pathways that connect the surface waters of the Weddell Sea with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current influence water mass modification, nutrient fluxes, and ecosystem dynamics. To study this exchange, 40 surface drifters, equipped with temperature sensors, were released into the northwestern Weddell Sea’s continental shelf and slope frontal system in late January 2012. Comparison of the drifter trajectories with a similar deployment in early February 2007 provides insight into the interannual variability of the surface circulation in this region. Observed differences in the 2007 and 2012 drifter trajectories are related to a variable surface circulation responding to changes in wind stress curl over the Weddell Gyre. Differences between northwestern Weddell Sea properties in 2007 and 2012 include 1) an enhanced cyclonic wind stress forcing over the Weddell Gyre in 2012; 2) an acceleration of the Antarctic Slope Current (ASC) and an offshore shift of the primary drifter export pathway in 2012; and 3) a strengthening of the Coastal Current (CC) over the continental shelf in 2007. The relationship between wind stress forcing and surface circulation is reproduced over a longer time period in virtual drifter deployments advected by a remotely sensed surface velocity product. The mean offshore position and speed of the drifter trajectories are correlated with the wind stress curl over the Weddell Gyre, although with different temporal lags. The drifter observations are consistent with recent modeling studies suggesting that Weddell Sea boundary current variability can significantly impact the rate and source of exported surface waters to the Scotia Sea, a process that determines regional chlorophyll distributions.

scholarly journals Effects of surface current/wind interaction in an eddy-rich general ocean circulation simulation of the Baltic Sea

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Dietze ◽  
U. Löptien
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Algal Blooms ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Surface Currents ◽  
Wind Effects ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. Deoxygenation in the Baltic Sea endangers fish yields and favours noxious algal blooms. Yet, vertical transport processes ventilating the oxygen-deprived waters at depth and replenishing nutrient-deprived surface waters (thereby fuelling export of organic matter to depth), are not comprehensively understood. Here, we investigate the effects of the interaction between surface currents and winds (also referred to as eddy/wind effects) on upwelling in an eddy-rich general ocean circulation model of the Baltic Sea. Contrary to expectations we find that accounting for current/wind effects does inhibit the overall vertical exchange between oxygenated surface waters and oxygen-deprived water at depth. At major upwelling sites, however, as e.g. off the south coast of Sweden and Finland, the reverse holds: the interaction between topographically steered surface currents with winds blowing over the sea results in a climatological sea surface temperature cooling of 0.5 K. This implies that current/wind effects drive substantial local upwelling of cold and nutrient-replete waters.

scholarly journals Response of North Atlantic Ocean Circulation to Atmospheric Weather Regimes

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Barrier ◽  
Christophe Cassou ◽  
Julie Deshayes ◽  
Anne-Marie Treguier
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Wind Stress ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
North Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Subpolar Gyre ◽  
Wind Stress Curl ◽  
Overturning Circulation ◽  
Weather Regimes

Abstract A new framework is proposed for investigating the atmospheric forcing of North Atlantic Ocean circulation. Instead of using classical modes of variability, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) or the east Atlantic pattern, the weather regimes paradigm was used. Using this framework helped avoid problems associated with the assumptions of orthogonality and symmetry that are particular to modal analysis and known to be unsuitable for the NAO. Using ocean-only historical and sensitivity experiments, the impacts of the four winter weather regimes on horizontal and overturning circulations were investigated. The results suggest that the Atlantic Ridge (AR), negative NAO (NAO−), and positive NAO (NAO+) regimes induce a fast (monthly-to-interannual time scales) adjustment of the gyres via topographic Sverdrup dynamics and of the meridional overturning circulation via anomalous Ekman transport. The wind anomalies associated with the Scandinavian blocking regime (SBL) are ineffective in driving a fast wind-driven oceanic adjustment. The response of both gyre and overturning circulations to persistent regime conditions was also estimated. AR causes a strong, wind-driven reduction in the strengths of the subtropical and subpolar gyres, while NAO+ causes a strengthening of the subtropical gyre via wind stress curl anomalies and of the subpolar gyre via heat flux anomalies. NAO− induces a southward shift of the gyres through the southward displacement of the wind stress curl. The SBL is found to impact the subpolar gyre only via anomalous heat fluxes. The overturning circulation is shown to spin up following persistent SBL and NAO+ and to spin down following persistent AR and NAO− conditions. These responses are driven by changes in deep water formation in the Labrador Sea.

scholarly journals Evaluation of CMIP3 and CMIP5 Wind Stress Climatology Using Satellite Measurements and Atmospheric Reanalysis Products

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (16) ◽  
pp. 5810-5826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tong Lee ◽  
Duane E. Waliser ◽  
Jui-Lin F. Li ◽  
Felix W. Landerer ◽  
Michelle M. Gierach
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
Wind Stress ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Zonal Wind ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Equatorial Pacific Ocean ◽  
Equatorial Atlantic ◽  
Wind Stress Curl ◽  
Meridional Heat Transport ◽  
Easterly Wind

Abstract Wind stress measurements from the Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) satellite and two atmospheric reanalysis products are used to evaluate the annual mean and seasonal cycle of wind stress simulated by phases 3 and 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3 and CMIP5). The ensemble CMIP3 and CMIP5 wind stresses are very similar to each other. Generally speaking, there is no significant improvement of CMIP5 over CMIP3. The CMIP ensemble–average zonal wind stress has eastward biases at midlatitude westerly wind regions (30°–50°N and 30°–50°S, with CMIP being too strong by as much as 55%), westward biases in subtropical–tropical easterly wind regions (15°–25°N and 15°–25°S), and westward biases at high-latitude regions (poleward of 55°S and 55°N). These biases correspond to too strong anticyclonic (cyclonic) wind stress curl over the subtropical (subpolar) ocean gyres, which would strengthen these gyres and influence oceanic meridional heat transport. In the equatorial zone, significant biases of CMIP wind exist in individual basins. In the equatorial Atlantic and Indian Oceans, CMIP ensemble zonal wind stresses are too weak and result in too small of an east–west gradient of sea level. In the equatorial Pacific Ocean, CMIP zonal wind stresses are too weak in the central and too strong in the western Pacific. These biases have important implications for the simulation of various modes of climate variability originating in the tropics. The CMIP as a whole overestimate the magnitude of seasonal variability by almost 50% when averaged over the entire global ocean. The biased wind stress climatologies in CMIP not only have implications for the simulated ocean circulation and climate variability but other air–sea fluxes as well.

Multidecadal simulation of the tropical and subtropical South Atlantic Ocean with a high resolution ocean model forced by ERA-5 reanalysis data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Schmidt ◽  
Hadi Bordbar ◽  
Fernanda Nascimento ◽  
Claudia Frauen
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Wind Stress ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Reanalysis Data ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Boundary Current ◽  
Wind Stress Curl ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Upwelling Intensity

<p>High resolution regional ocean circulation models are needed to investigate regional ecosystem dynamics. However, these models may suffer from biases due to shortcomings in reanalysis datasets like NCEP or ERA-Interin, that have traditionally been used as atmospheric forcing. More realistic results can be achieved by replacing the reanalysed wind with scatterometer based winds. However, inconsistencies between different scatterometers like ASCAT and QuikSCAT introduce new uncertainty, which prevents a discussion of long-term trends in these models. The ERA-5 reanalysis offers a new consistent data set to force highly resolving regional ocean models. Based on such a simulation we analyse trends and anomalies in poleward currents in the Eastern Boundary Current off Southern Africa and Northern Benguela upwelling intensity due to changing wind stress and wind stress curl. Model results are validated with remote sensing as well as shipborne and mooring data. Further, variability of oxygen conditions in the Northern Benguela and the Angola Gyre oxygen minimum zone is discussed. </p>

scholarly journals Estimates of North Atlantic Ventilation and Mode Water Formation for Winters 2002–06

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (10) ◽  
pp. 2600-2617 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Trossman ◽  
Lu Anne Thompson ◽  
Kathryn A. Kelly ◽  
Young-Oh Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Wind Stress ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Gulf Stream ◽  
Temporal Structure ◽  
World Ocean ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Ekman Pumping ◽  
Mode Water ◽  
Geostrophic Currents

Abstract Lagrangian estimates for ventilation rates in the Gulf Stream Extension using Argo and World Ocean Circulation Experiment/Atlantic Climate and Circulation Experiment (WOCE/ACCE) float data, scatterometer (QuikSCAT) wind stress satellite observations, and altimetric [Archiving, Validation, and Interpretation of Satellite Oceanographic data (AVISO)] sea surface height (SSH) satellite observations from 2002 to 2006 are presented. Satellite winds and estimates of surface geostrophic currents allow the inclusion of the effects of currents on wind stress as well as their impact on the Ekman pumping. The presence of large surface geostrophic currents decreases the total Ekman pumping, contributing up to 20% where the Gulf Stream makes its two sharpest turns, and increases the total Ekman pumping by 10% or less everywhere else. The ageostrophic currents may be as large as 15% of the geostrophic currents, but only in proximity of the Gulf Stream. Using currents and mixed layer depths (MLDs) that are either climatological or vary from year to year, obducted water tends to originate along the Gulf Stream, while subducted water tends to originate to its south. However, using time-varying MLDs for each year, subduction varies significantly, sometimes oppositely from obduction. The 18° Water (EDW) subducts in different locations and is distributed differently each year but tends to be located in the Sargasso Sea. Vertical pumping is the only dominant factor in ventilation closer to the coast where MLDs are shallower and lighter parcels are subducted. Vertical pumping contributes up to 20% of the several hundreds of ventilated meters per year around the Gulf Stream and less elsewhere. Using a temperature- or density-based criterion for estimating the MLDs, especially along the coasts and north of 45°N, obduction estimates differ by up to 25%. The horizontal and temporal structure of the MLDs is the primary factor that controls the tens of sverdrups of ventilation (and a few sverdrups of EDW subduction).

Wind Stress Dependence on Ocean Surface Velocity: Implications for Mechanical Energy Input to Ocean Circulation

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas H. A. Duhaut ◽  
David N. Straub
Keyword(s):  
Wind Stress ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Energy Input ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Quadratic Function ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Power Source ◽  
Surface Velocity ◽  
Stress Dependence ◽  
Scaling Arguments

Abstract It is pointed out that accounting for an ocean surface velocity dependence in the wind stress τ can lead to a significant reduction in the rate at which winds input mechanical energy to the geostrophic circulation. Specifically, the wind stress is taken to be a quadratic function of Ua − uo, where Ua and uo are the 10-m wind and ocean surface velocity, respectively. Because |Ua| is typically large relative to |uo|, accounting for a uo dependence leads only to relatively small changes in τ. The change to the basin-averaged wind power source, however, is considerably larger. Scaling arguments and quasigeostrophic simulations in a basin setting are presented. They suggest that the power source (or rate of energy input) is reduced by roughly 20%–35%.

scholarly journals Stochastic Forcing of the North Atlantic Wind-Driven Ocean Circulation. Part II: An Analysis of the Dynamical Ocean Response Using Generalized Stability Theory

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kettyah C. Chhak ◽  
Andrew M. Moore ◽  
Ralph F. Milliff ◽  
Grant Branstator ◽  
William R. Holland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Stress ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Boundary Region ◽  
Western Boundary ◽  
Transient Growth ◽  
Wind Stress Curl ◽  
Stochastic Forcing ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract As discussed in Part I of this study, the magnitude of the stochastic component of wind stress forcing is comparable to that of the seasonal cycle and thus will likely have a significant influence on the ocean circulation. By forcing a quasigeostrophic model of the North Atlantic Ocean circulation with stochastic wind stress curl data from the NCAR CCM3, it was found in Part I that much of the stochastically induced variability in the ocean circulation is confined to the western boundary region and some major topographic features even though the stochastic forcing is basinwide. This can be attributed to effects of bathymetry and vorticity gradients in the basic state on the system eigenmodes. Using generalized stability theory (GST), it was found in Part I that transient growth due to the linear interference of nonnormal eigenmodes enhances the stochastically induced variance. In the present study, the GST analysis of Part I is extended and it is found that the patterns of wind stress curl that are most effective for inducing variability in the model have their largest projection on the most nonnormal eigenmodes of the system. These eigenmodes are confined primarily to the western boundary region and are composed of long Rossby wave packets that are Doppler shifted by the Gulf Stream to have eastward group velocity. Linear interference of these eigenmodes yields transient growth of stochastically induced perturbations, and it is this process that maintains the variance of the stochastically induced circulations. Analysis of the large-scale circulation also reveals that the system possesses a large number of degrees of freedom, which has significant implications for ocean prediction. Sensitivity studies show that the results and conclusions of this study are insensitive and robust to variations in model parameters and model configuration.

On the theory of the wind-driven ocean circulation

1962 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. F. Carrier ◽  
A. R. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Wind Stress ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Inviscid Flow ◽  
Relative Vorticity ◽  
Wind Stress Curl ◽  
Meridional Transport ◽  
Surface Distribution ◽  
Surface Wind Stress ◽  
Mean Circulation

A surface distribution of stress is imposed on an ocean enclosed by two continental boundaries; the resulting transport circulation is studied between two latitudes of zero surface wind-stress curl, within which the curl reaches a single maximum. Under the assumption that turbulent transfer of relative vorticity has a minimum effect on the mean circulation, inviscid flow patterns are deduced in the limit of small transport Rossby number. Inertial currents, or naturally scaled regions of high relative vorticity, occur on both the eastern and the western continental coasts. Limits on the relative transports of the currents are obtained and found to depend on the direction of variation of the wind-stress curl with latitude, relative to that of the Coriolis accelerations. The most striking feature of the inviscid flow is a narrow inertial current the axis of which lies along the latitude of maximum wind-stress curl. All eastward flow occurs in this midlatitude jet.A feature of the flow which cannot remain essentially free of turbulent processes is the integrated vorticity relationship, since the imposed wind-stress distribution acts as a net source of vorticity for the ocean. Heuristic arguments are used together with this integral constraint to deduce the presence and strength of the turbulent diffusion which must occur in the region of the mid-latitude jet. It is further inferred that the turbulent meanders of the jet must effect a net meridional transport of relative vorticity.

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