The physics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current
A region of transition of surface water characteristics from subantarctic to antarctic and an associated eastward flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) have long been recognized to exist as a band around Antarctica. In this review we summarize the most important observational and theoretical f...
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ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.459.3930 2023-05-15T13:36:25+02:00 The physics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current Worth D. Nowlin John M. Klinck The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives 1986 application/pdf http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.459.3930 http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/~klinck/Reprints/PDF/nowlinRevGeo86.pdf en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.459.3930 http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/~klinck/Reprints/PDF/nowlinRevGeo86.pdf Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/~klinck/Reprints/PDF/nowlinRevGeo86.pdf text 1986 ftciteseerx 2016-01-08T06:24:50Z A region of transition of surface water characteristics from subantarctic to antarctic and an associated eastward flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) have long been recognized to exist as a band around Antarctica. In this review we summarize the most important observational and theoretical findings of the past decade regarding the ACC, identify gaps in our knowledge, and recommend studies to address these. The nature of the meridional zonation of the ACC is only now being revealed. The ACC seems to exist as multiple narrow jets imbedded in, or associated with, density fronts (the Subantarctic and Polar fronts) which appear to be circumpolar in extent. These fronts meander, and current rings form from them; lateral frontal shifts of as much as 100 km in 10 days have been observed. The volume transport of the ACC has been estimated many times with disparate results. Recently, yearlong direct measurements in Drake Passage have shown the mean transport o be approximately 134 x 10 6 m3/s, with an uncertainty of not more than 10%. The instantaneous transport can vary from the mean by as much as 20%, with most of the variation associated with changes in the reference flow at 2500 m rather than in the vertical shear. Meridional exchanges of heat across the ACC are known to be important to the heat balance of the abyssal ocean and consequently to global climate. The most likely candidate process for the required poleward heat exchange seems to be mesoscale eddies, though narrow abyssal Text Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Drake Passage Unknown Antarctic Drake Passage The Antarctic |
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English |
description |
A region of transition of surface water characteristics from subantarctic to antarctic and an associated eastward flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) have long been recognized to exist as a band around Antarctica. In this review we summarize the most important observational and theoretical findings of the past decade regarding the ACC, identify gaps in our knowledge, and recommend studies to address these. The nature of the meridional zonation of the ACC is only now being revealed. The ACC seems to exist as multiple narrow jets imbedded in, or associated with, density fronts (the Subantarctic and Polar fronts) which appear to be circumpolar in extent. These fronts meander, and current rings form from them; lateral frontal shifts of as much as 100 km in 10 days have been observed. The volume transport of the ACC has been estimated many times with disparate results. Recently, yearlong direct measurements in Drake Passage have shown the mean transport o be approximately 134 x 10 6 m3/s, with an uncertainty of not more than 10%. The instantaneous transport can vary from the mean by as much as 20%, with most of the variation associated with changes in the reference flow at 2500 m rather than in the vertical shear. Meridional exchanges of heat across the ACC are known to be important to the heat balance of the abyssal ocean and consequently to global climate. The most likely candidate process for the required poleward heat exchange seems to be mesoscale eddies, though narrow abyssal |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
Worth D. Nowlin John M. Klinck |
spellingShingle |
Worth D. Nowlin John M. Klinck The physics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current |
author_facet |
Worth D. Nowlin John M. Klinck |
author_sort |
Worth D. Nowlin |
title |
The physics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current |
title_short |
The physics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current |
title_full |
The physics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current |
title_fullStr |
The physics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current |
title_full_unstemmed |
The physics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current |
title_sort |
physics of the antarctic circumpolar current |
publishDate |
1986 |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.459.3930 http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/~klinck/Reprints/PDF/nowlinRevGeo86.pdf |
geographic |
Antarctic Drake Passage The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Drake Passage The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Drake Passage |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Drake Passage |
op_source |
http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/~klinck/Reprints/PDF/nowlinRevGeo86.pdf |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.459.3930 http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/~klinck/Reprints/PDF/nowlinRevGeo86.pdf |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
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1766078281681993728 |