EFFECTS OF PLANETARY TOPOGRAPHY ON THE DEEP SEA CIRCULATION, WITH AN APPLICATION TO THE NORTH ATLANTIC.

A discussion is given of the deep circulation in an ocean of variable depth H. The circulation is driven by a vertical velocity prescribed at a horizontal interface. The model is an extension of the one given by Stommel and Arons (1960). Assuming that the non-geostrophic regime is confined to a west...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Welander,Pierre
Other Authors: JOHNS HOPKINS UNIV BALTIMORE MD DEPT OF MECHANICS
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1968
Subjects:
Physical and Dynamic Oceanography
(*OCEAN CURRENTS
MOTION)
(*OCEANOGRAPHY
ATLANTIC OCEAN)
DEEP WATER
CORIOLIS EFFECT
WIND
CONVECTION(HEAT TRANSFER)
OCEAN BOTTOM TOPOGRAPHY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
VELOCITY
ATTENUATION
BOUNDARY LAYER
SOURCES
NUMERICAL METHODS AND PROCEDURES
OCEAN MODELS
LAYERS(MARINE)
RIDGES(MARINE)
North Atlantic
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0670617
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0670617
Description
Summary:A discussion is given of the deep circulation in an ocean of variable depth H. The circulation is driven by a vertical velocity prescribed at a horizontal interface. The model is an extension of the one given by Stommel and Arons (1960). Assuming that the non-geostrophic regime is confined to a western boundary current, a general picture of the transport field can be given. In the case where a source of deep water exists near the northern boundary and a general upwelling through the interface occurs elsewhere, a deep southward boundary current at the western wall is obtained, as shown already by Stommel. When a meridional midbasin ridge is introduced, part of this boundary current is replaced by a ridge current, a similar deep current running along the eastern slope of the ridge. As these two currents flow south the ridge current leaks water to the west. Thereby the boundary current amplifies, the ridge current decays. At a certain latitude the ridge current vanishes, and further south it is replaced by a northward current. (Author)

Similar Items