• Main Authors: H. H. Hellmer, M. P. Schodlok, M. Wenzel, J. G. Schröter
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Global ocean; Antarctic; Southern Ocean; The Antarctic; Weddell; Weddell Sea; Antarc*; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.462.1151; http://epic.awi.de/10644/1/Hel2004d.pdf

1Abstract. Global ocean circulation models usually lack an adaquate consideration of high-latitude processes due to a limited model domain or insufficient resolution. Without the processes in key areas of the global thermohaline circulation, the characteristics and flow of deep and bottom waters can-not be modelled realistically. In this study a high-resolution (∼20 km) ocean model focused on the Weddell Sea sector of the Southern Ocean is combined with a low-resolution (2 ◦ × 2◦) global ocean model applying the state estimation technique. Temperature, salinity, and velocity data on two Weddell Sea sections from the regional model are used as constraints for the large-scale model in addition to satellite altimetry and sea surface temperatures. The differences be-tween the model with additional constraints and without doc-ument that the Weddell Sea circulation exerts significant in-fluence on the course of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current with consequences for Southern Ocean water mass charac-teristics and the spreading of deep and bottom waters in the South Atlantic. Furthermore, a warming trend in the period 1993 to 2001 was found in the Weddell Sea and adjacent basins in agreement with float measurements in the upper Southern Ocean. Teleconnections to the North Atlantic are suggested but need further studies to demonstrate their statis-tical significance.