South Atlantic circulation in a world ocean model
The circulation in the South Atlantic Ocean has been simulated within a global ocean general circulation model. Preliminary analysis of the modelled ocean circulation in the region indicates a rather close agreement of the simulated upper ocean flows with conventional notions of the large-scale geos...
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Copernicus Publications
1994
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:908c17d67c1b44a99436e884afa3d10e 2023-05-15T13:52:44+02:00 South Atlantic circulation in a world ocean model M. H. England V. C. Garçon 1994-08-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1007/s00585-994-0812-y https://doaj.org/article/908c17d67c1b44a99436e884afa3d10e EN eng Copernicus Publications https://www.ann-geophys.net/12/812/1994/angeo-12-812-1994.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/0992-7689 https://doaj.org/toc/1432-0576 doi:10.1007/s00585-994-0812-y 0992-7689 1432-0576 https://doaj.org/article/908c17d67c1b44a99436e884afa3d10e Annales Geophysicae, Vol 12, Pp 812-825 (1994) Science Q Physics QC1-999 Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 article 1994 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1007/s00585-994-0812-y 2022-12-31T14:59:56Z The circulation in the South Atlantic Ocean has been simulated within a global ocean general circulation model. Preliminary analysis of the modelled ocean circulation in the region indicates a rather close agreement of the simulated upper ocean flows with conventional notions of the large-scale geostrophic currents in the region. The modelled South Atlantic Ocean witnesses the return flow and export of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) at its northern boundary, the inflow of a rather barotropic Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) through the Drake Passage, and the inflow of warm saline Agulhas water around the Cape of Good Hope. The Agulhas leakage amounts to 8.7 Sv, within recent estimates of the mass transport shed westward at the Agulhas retroflection. Topographic steering of the ACC dominates the structure of flow in the circumpolar ocean. The Benguela Current is seen to be fed by a mixture of saline Indian Ocean water (originating from the Agulhas Current) and fresher Subantarctic surface water (originating in the ACC). The Benguela Current is seen to modify its flow and fate with depth; near the surface it flows north-westwards bifurcating most of its transport northward into the North Atlantic Ocean (for ultimate replacement of North Atlantic surface waters lost to the NADW conveyor). Deeper in the water column, more of the Benguela Current is destined to return with the Brazil Current, though northward flows are still generated where the Benguela Current extension encounters the coast of South America. At intermediate levels, these northward currents trace the flow of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) equatorward, though even more AAIW is seen to recirculate poleward in the subtropical gyre. In spite of the model's rather coarse resolution, some subtle features of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence are simulated rather well, including the latitude at which the two currents meet. Conceptual diagrams of the recirculation and interocean exchange of thermocline, intermediate and deep waters are constructed from ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Drake Passage NADW North Atlantic Deep Water North Atlantic South Atlantic Ocean Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic Drake Passage Indian Annales Geophysicae 12 9 812 825 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Science Q Physics QC1-999 Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 |
spellingShingle |
Science Q Physics QC1-999 Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 M. H. England V. C. Garçon South Atlantic circulation in a world ocean model |
topic_facet |
Science Q Physics QC1-999 Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 |
description |
The circulation in the South Atlantic Ocean has been simulated within a global ocean general circulation model. Preliminary analysis of the modelled ocean circulation in the region indicates a rather close agreement of the simulated upper ocean flows with conventional notions of the large-scale geostrophic currents in the region. The modelled South Atlantic Ocean witnesses the return flow and export of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) at its northern boundary, the inflow of a rather barotropic Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) through the Drake Passage, and the inflow of warm saline Agulhas water around the Cape of Good Hope. The Agulhas leakage amounts to 8.7 Sv, within recent estimates of the mass transport shed westward at the Agulhas retroflection. Topographic steering of the ACC dominates the structure of flow in the circumpolar ocean. The Benguela Current is seen to be fed by a mixture of saline Indian Ocean water (originating from the Agulhas Current) and fresher Subantarctic surface water (originating in the ACC). The Benguela Current is seen to modify its flow and fate with depth; near the surface it flows north-westwards bifurcating most of its transport northward into the North Atlantic Ocean (for ultimate replacement of North Atlantic surface waters lost to the NADW conveyor). Deeper in the water column, more of the Benguela Current is destined to return with the Brazil Current, though northward flows are still generated where the Benguela Current extension encounters the coast of South America. At intermediate levels, these northward currents trace the flow of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) equatorward, though even more AAIW is seen to recirculate poleward in the subtropical gyre. In spite of the model's rather coarse resolution, some subtle features of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence are simulated rather well, including the latitude at which the two currents meet. Conceptual diagrams of the recirculation and interocean exchange of thermocline, intermediate and deep waters are constructed from ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
M. H. England V. C. Garçon |
author_facet |
M. H. England V. C. Garçon |
author_sort |
M. H. England |
title |
South Atlantic circulation in a world ocean model |
title_short |
South Atlantic circulation in a world ocean model |
title_full |
South Atlantic circulation in a world ocean model |
title_fullStr |
South Atlantic circulation in a world ocean model |
title_full_unstemmed |
South Atlantic circulation in a world ocean model |
title_sort |
south atlantic circulation in a world ocean model |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
1994 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00585-994-0812-y https://doaj.org/article/908c17d67c1b44a99436e884afa3d10e |
geographic |
Antarctic Drake Passage Indian |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Drake Passage Indian |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Drake Passage NADW North Atlantic Deep Water North Atlantic South Atlantic Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Drake Passage NADW North Atlantic Deep Water North Atlantic South Atlantic Ocean |
op_source |
Annales Geophysicae, Vol 12, Pp 812-825 (1994) |
op_relation |
https://www.ann-geophys.net/12/812/1994/angeo-12-812-1994.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/0992-7689 https://doaj.org/toc/1432-0576 doi:10.1007/s00585-994-0812-y 0992-7689 1432-0576 https://doaj.org/article/908c17d67c1b44a99436e884afa3d10e |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00585-994-0812-y |
container_title |
Annales Geophysicae |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
812 |
op_container_end_page |
825 |
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1766257207450533888 |