Southern Ocean overturning across streamlines in an eddying simulation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current
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 pole-ward circulati...
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ftarchimer:oai:archimer.ifremer.fr:3713 2023-05-15T13:47:21+02:00 Southern Ocean overturning across streamlines in an eddying simulation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current Treguier, Anne-marie England, M Rintoul, S Madec, G Le Sommer, J Molines, J 2007-12 application/pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2007/publication-3713.pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/3713/ eng eng European Geosciences Union (EGU) https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2007/publication-3713.pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/3713/ Author(s) 2007. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. EGU info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess restricted use Ocean Science (1812-0784) (European Geosciences Union (EGU)), 2007-12 , Vol. 3 , N. 4 , P. 491-507 text Publication info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2007 ftarchimer 2021-09-23T20:15:34Z 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 pole-ward 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. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Southern Ocean Archimer (Archive Institutionnelle de l'Ifremer - Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer) Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Archimer (Archive Institutionnelle de l'Ifremer - Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer) |
op_collection_id |
ftarchimer |
language |
English |
description |
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 pole-ward 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. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Treguier, Anne-marie England, M Rintoul, S Madec, G Le Sommer, J Molines, J |
spellingShingle |
Treguier, Anne-marie England, M Rintoul, S Madec, G Le Sommer, J Molines, J Southern Ocean overturning across streamlines in an eddying simulation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current |
author_facet |
Treguier, Anne-marie England, M Rintoul, S Madec, G Le Sommer, J Molines, J |
author_sort |
Treguier, Anne-marie |
title |
Southern Ocean overturning across streamlines in an eddying simulation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current |
title_short |
Southern Ocean overturning across streamlines in an eddying simulation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current |
title_full |
Southern Ocean overturning across streamlines in an eddying simulation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current |
title_fullStr |
Southern Ocean overturning across streamlines in an eddying simulation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current |
title_full_unstemmed |
Southern Ocean overturning across streamlines in an eddying simulation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current |
title_sort |
southern ocean overturning across streamlines in an eddying simulation of the antarctic circumpolar current |
publisher |
European Geosciences Union (EGU) |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2007/publication-3713.pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/3713/ |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Ocean Science (1812-0784) (European Geosciences Union (EGU)), 2007-12 , Vol. 3 , N. 4 , P. 491-507 |
op_relation |
https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2007/publication-3713.pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/3713/ |
op_rights |
Author(s) 2007. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. EGU info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess restricted use |
_version_ |
1766246943233671168 |