On the Importance of Surface Forcing in Conceptual Models of the Deep Ocean
In the major ocean basins, diapycnal mixing upwells dense Antarctic Bottom Water, which returns southward and closes the deepest cell of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC). This cell ventilates the deep ocean and regulates the partitioning of CO2 between the atmosphere and the ocean. The o...
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American Meteorological Society
2014
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ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:45207 2023-05-15T14:04:55+02:00 On the Importance of Surface Forcing in Conceptual Models of the Deep Ocean Stewart, Andrew L. Ferrari, Raffaele Thompson, Andrew F. 2014-03 application/pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/45207/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/45207/1/jpo-d-13-0206.1.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140425-074934016 en eng American Meteorological Society https://authors.library.caltech.edu/45207/1/jpo-d-13-0206.1.pdf Stewart, Andrew L. and Ferrari, Raffaele and Thompson, Andrew F. (2014) On the Importance of Surface Forcing in Conceptual Models of the Deep Ocean. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 44 (3). pp. 891-899. ISSN 0022-3670. doi:10.1175/JPO-D-13-0206.1. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140425-074934016 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140425-074934016> other Article PeerReviewed 2014 ftcaltechauth https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-13-0206.1 2021-11-11T18:57:31Z In the major ocean basins, diapycnal mixing upwells dense Antarctic Bottom Water, which returns southward and closes the deepest cell of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC). This cell ventilates the deep ocean and regulates the partitioning of CO2 between the atmosphere and the ocean. The oceanographic community's conceptual understanding of the deep stratification and MOC has evolved from classic “abyssal recipes” arguments to a more recent appreciation of along-isopycnal upwelling in the Southern Ocean, consistent with a weakly mixed ocean interior. Both the deep stratification and the deep MOC are shown here to be sensitive to the form of the surface buoyancy forcing in a two-dimensional model that includes a circumpolar channel and northern basin. For a fixed surface buoyancy condition, the deep stratification is essentially prescribed, whereas for a fixed surface buoyancy flux, the deep stratification varies by orders of magnitude over the range of diapycnal diffusivity κ observed in the ocean. These cases also produce different scalings for the deep MOC with κ, in both weak and strong κ regimes. In addition, these scalings are shown to be sensitive not only to the type of surface boundary condition, but also to the latitudinal structure of the surface fluxes. This latter point is crucial as buoyancy budgets and dynamical features of the circulation are poorly constrained along the Antarctic margins. This study emphasizes the need for caution in the interpretation of simple conceptual models that, while useful, may not include all mechanisms that contribute to the MOC’s strength and structure. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Southern Ocean Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Journal of Physical Oceanography 44 3 891 899 |
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Open Polar |
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Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftcaltechauth |
language |
English |
description |
In the major ocean basins, diapycnal mixing upwells dense Antarctic Bottom Water, which returns southward and closes the deepest cell of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC). This cell ventilates the deep ocean and regulates the partitioning of CO2 between the atmosphere and the ocean. The oceanographic community's conceptual understanding of the deep stratification and MOC has evolved from classic “abyssal recipes” arguments to a more recent appreciation of along-isopycnal upwelling in the Southern Ocean, consistent with a weakly mixed ocean interior. Both the deep stratification and the deep MOC are shown here to be sensitive to the form of the surface buoyancy forcing in a two-dimensional model that includes a circumpolar channel and northern basin. For a fixed surface buoyancy condition, the deep stratification is essentially prescribed, whereas for a fixed surface buoyancy flux, the deep stratification varies by orders of magnitude over the range of diapycnal diffusivity κ observed in the ocean. These cases also produce different scalings for the deep MOC with κ, in both weak and strong κ regimes. In addition, these scalings are shown to be sensitive not only to the type of surface boundary condition, but also to the latitudinal structure of the surface fluxes. This latter point is crucial as buoyancy budgets and dynamical features of the circulation are poorly constrained along the Antarctic margins. This study emphasizes the need for caution in the interpretation of simple conceptual models that, while useful, may not include all mechanisms that contribute to the MOC’s strength and structure. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Stewart, Andrew L. Ferrari, Raffaele Thompson, Andrew F. |
spellingShingle |
Stewart, Andrew L. Ferrari, Raffaele Thompson, Andrew F. On the Importance of Surface Forcing in Conceptual Models of the Deep Ocean |
author_facet |
Stewart, Andrew L. Ferrari, Raffaele Thompson, Andrew F. |
author_sort |
Stewart, Andrew L. |
title |
On the Importance of Surface Forcing in Conceptual Models of the Deep Ocean |
title_short |
On the Importance of Surface Forcing in Conceptual Models of the Deep Ocean |
title_full |
On the Importance of Surface Forcing in Conceptual Models of the Deep Ocean |
title_fullStr |
On the Importance of Surface Forcing in Conceptual Models of the Deep Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
On the Importance of Surface Forcing in Conceptual Models of the Deep Ocean |
title_sort |
on the importance of surface forcing in conceptual models of the deep ocean |
publisher |
American Meteorological Society |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/45207/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/45207/1/jpo-d-13-0206.1.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140425-074934016 |
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_relation |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/45207/1/jpo-d-13-0206.1.pdf Stewart, Andrew L. and Ferrari, Raffaele and Thompson, Andrew F. (2014) On the Importance of Surface Forcing in Conceptual Models of the Deep Ocean. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 44 (3). pp. 891-899. ISSN 0022-3670. doi:10.1175/JPO-D-13-0206.1. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140425-074934016 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140425-074934016> |
op_rights |
other |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-13-0206.1 |
container_title |
Journal of Physical Oceanography |
container_volume |
44 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
891 |
op_container_end_page |
899 |
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1766276373094072320 |