Testing theories of the vertical stratification of the ACC against observations
Recent theories of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) suggest that its lateral and vertical stratification is controlled by its baroclinic instability: eddies in the ACC not only feed-off the available potential energy stored in sloping isopycnals but play a central role is setting up that stra...
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ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.527.9482 2023-05-15T13:34:48+02:00 Testing theories of the vertical stratification of the ACC against observations Richard H. Karsten A John Marshall B The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives 2002 application/pdf http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.527.9482 http://math.acadiau.ca/karsten/papers/henotepp.pdf en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.527.9482 http://math.acadiau.ca/karsten/papers/henotepp.pdf Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. http://math.acadiau.ca/karsten/papers/henotepp.pdf Antarctic Circumpolar Current Stratification Residual circulation text 2002 ftciteseerx 2016-01-08T10:26:32Z Recent theories of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) suggest that its lateral and vertical stratification is controlled by its baroclinic instability: eddies in the ACC not only feed-off the available potential energy stored in sloping isopycnals but play a central role is setting up that stratification. Simple theory makes predictions about how the depth of the thermocline in the ACC depends on the surface winds, the air–sea buoyancy flux and transfer by baroclinic eddies. By examining gridded hydrographic data, here we test some of these predictions against observations. We show that, to a remarkable degree, the buoyancy field in the ACC decays exponentially with depth beneath the mixed layer. The e-folding depth increases equatorward, from less than 500 m on the poleward flank of the ACC to greater then 1000 m on its equatorial flank, in a manner that is broadly consistent with the theory. Text Antarc* Antarctic Unknown Antarctic The Antarctic |
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Open Polar |
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Unknown |
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ftciteseerx |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctic Circumpolar Current Stratification Residual circulation |
spellingShingle |
Antarctic Circumpolar Current Stratification Residual circulation Richard H. Karsten A John Marshall B Testing theories of the vertical stratification of the ACC against observations |
topic_facet |
Antarctic Circumpolar Current Stratification Residual circulation |
description |
Recent theories of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) suggest that its lateral and vertical stratification is controlled by its baroclinic instability: eddies in the ACC not only feed-off the available potential energy stored in sloping isopycnals but play a central role is setting up that stratification. Simple theory makes predictions about how the depth of the thermocline in the ACC depends on the surface winds, the air–sea buoyancy flux and transfer by baroclinic eddies. By examining gridded hydrographic data, here we test some of these predictions against observations. We show that, to a remarkable degree, the buoyancy field in the ACC decays exponentially with depth beneath the mixed layer. The e-folding depth increases equatorward, from less than 500 m on the poleward flank of the ACC to greater then 1000 m on its equatorial flank, in a manner that is broadly consistent with the theory. |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
Richard H. Karsten A John Marshall B |
author_facet |
Richard H. Karsten A John Marshall B |
author_sort |
Richard H. Karsten A |
title |
Testing theories of the vertical stratification of the ACC against observations |
title_short |
Testing theories of the vertical stratification of the ACC against observations |
title_full |
Testing theories of the vertical stratification of the ACC against observations |
title_fullStr |
Testing theories of the vertical stratification of the ACC against observations |
title_full_unstemmed |
Testing theories of the vertical stratification of the ACC against observations |
title_sort |
testing theories of the vertical stratification of the acc against observations |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.527.9482 http://math.acadiau.ca/karsten/papers/henotepp.pdf |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_source |
http://math.acadiau.ca/karsten/papers/henotepp.pdf |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.527.9482 http://math.acadiau.ca/karsten/papers/henotepp.pdf |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
_version_ |
1766057649699291136 |