Location and dynamics of the Antarctic Polar Front from satellite sea surface temperature data
The location of the Antarctic Polar Front (PF) was mapped over a 7-year period (1987–1993) within images of satellite-derived sea surface temperature. The mean path of the PF is strongly steered by the topographic features of the Southern Ocean. The topography places vorticity constraints on the dyn...
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Language: | English |
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ftcdlib:qt1m603584 2023-05-15T14:03:06+02:00 Location and dynamics of the Antarctic Polar Front from satellite sea surface temperature data Moore, J. Keith Abbott, Mark R Richman, James G 3059 1999-01-01 application/pdf http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/1m603584 english eng eScholarship, University of California qt1m603584 http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/1m603584 Attribution (CC BY): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ CC-BY Moore, J. Keith; Abbott, Mark R; & Richman, James G. (1999). Location and dynamics of the Antarctic Polar Front from satellite sea surface temperature data. Journal of Geophysical Research, 104(C2), 3059. doi:10.1029/1998JC900032. UC Irvine: Department of Earth System Science, UCI. Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/1m603584 Physical Sciences and Mathematics southern-ocean circumpolar current drake passage water masses bottom topography weddell gyre rossby waves circulation model altimetry article 1999 ftcdlib https://doi.org/10.1029/1998JC900032 2016-04-02T18:23:57Z The location of the Antarctic Polar Front (PF) was mapped over a 7-year period (1987–1993) within images of satellite-derived sea surface temperature. The mean path of the PF is strongly steered by the topographic features of the Southern Ocean. The topography places vorticity constraints on the dynamics of the PF that strongly affect spatial and temporal variability. Over the deep ocean basins the surface expression of the PF is weakened, and the PF meanders over a wide latitudinal range. Near large topographic features, width and temperature change across the front increase, and large-scale meandering is inhibited. Elevated mesoscale variability is seen within and downstream of these areas and may be the result of baroclinic instabilities initiated where the PF encounters large topographic features. The strong correlations between topography and PF dynamics can be understood in the context of the planetary potential vorticity (PPV orf/H) field. Mean PPV at the PF varies by more than a factor of 2 along its circumpolar path. However, at the mesoscale the PF remains within a relatively narrow range of PPV values around the local mean. Away from large topographic features, the PF returns to a preferred PPV value of ∼25 × 10−9 m−1 s−1 despite large latitudinal shifts. The mean paths of the surface and subsurface expressions of the PF are closely coupled over much of the Southern Ocean. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Drake Passage Southern Ocean University of California: eScholarship Antarctic Drake Passage Southern Ocean The Antarctic Weddell Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 104 C2 3059 3073 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
English |
topic |
Physical Sciences and Mathematics southern-ocean circumpolar current drake passage water masses bottom topography weddell gyre rossby waves circulation model altimetry |
spellingShingle |
Physical Sciences and Mathematics southern-ocean circumpolar current drake passage water masses bottom topography weddell gyre rossby waves circulation model altimetry Moore, J. Keith Abbott, Mark R Richman, James G Location and dynamics of the Antarctic Polar Front from satellite sea surface temperature data |
topic_facet |
Physical Sciences and Mathematics southern-ocean circumpolar current drake passage water masses bottom topography weddell gyre rossby waves circulation model altimetry |
description |
The location of the Antarctic Polar Front (PF) was mapped over a 7-year period (1987–1993) within images of satellite-derived sea surface temperature. The mean path of the PF is strongly steered by the topographic features of the Southern Ocean. The topography places vorticity constraints on the dynamics of the PF that strongly affect spatial and temporal variability. Over the deep ocean basins the surface expression of the PF is weakened, and the PF meanders over a wide latitudinal range. Near large topographic features, width and temperature change across the front increase, and large-scale meandering is inhibited. Elevated mesoscale variability is seen within and downstream of these areas and may be the result of baroclinic instabilities initiated where the PF encounters large topographic features. The strong correlations between topography and PF dynamics can be understood in the context of the planetary potential vorticity (PPV orf/H) field. Mean PPV at the PF varies by more than a factor of 2 along its circumpolar path. However, at the mesoscale the PF remains within a relatively narrow range of PPV values around the local mean. Away from large topographic features, the PF returns to a preferred PPV value of ∼25 × 10−9 m−1 s−1 despite large latitudinal shifts. The mean paths of the surface and subsurface expressions of the PF are closely coupled over much of the Southern Ocean. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Moore, J. Keith Abbott, Mark R Richman, James G |
author_facet |
Moore, J. Keith Abbott, Mark R Richman, James G |
author_sort |
Moore, J. Keith |
title |
Location and dynamics of the Antarctic Polar Front from satellite sea surface temperature data |
title_short |
Location and dynamics of the Antarctic Polar Front from satellite sea surface temperature data |
title_full |
Location and dynamics of the Antarctic Polar Front from satellite sea surface temperature data |
title_fullStr |
Location and dynamics of the Antarctic Polar Front from satellite sea surface temperature data |
title_full_unstemmed |
Location and dynamics of the Antarctic Polar Front from satellite sea surface temperature data |
title_sort |
location and dynamics of the antarctic polar front from satellite sea surface temperature data |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
1999 |
url |
http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/1m603584 |
op_coverage |
3059 |
geographic |
Antarctic Drake Passage Southern Ocean The Antarctic Weddell |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Drake Passage Southern Ocean The Antarctic Weddell |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Drake Passage Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Drake Passage Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Moore, J. Keith; Abbott, Mark R; & Richman, James G. (1999). Location and dynamics of the Antarctic Polar Front from satellite sea surface temperature data. Journal of Geophysical Research, 104(C2), 3059. doi:10.1029/1998JC900032. UC Irvine: Department of Earth System Science, UCI. Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/1m603584 |
op_relation |
qt1m603584 http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/1m603584 |
op_rights |
Attribution (CC BY): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/1998JC900032 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
container_volume |
104 |
container_issue |
C2 |
container_start_page |
3059 |
op_container_end_page |
3073 |
_version_ |
1766273635119529984 |