Seafloor Topography and Ocean Circulation

• Main Authors: Gille, Sarah T., Metzger, E. J., Tokmakian, Robin
• Other Authors: NAVAL RESEARCH LAB STENNIS SPACE CENTER MS OCEANOGRAPHY DIV
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2004
• Subjects: Physical and Dynamic Oceanography; Fluid Mechanics; *WATER FLOW; *OCEAN CURRENTS; *BATHYMETRY; *SEA WATER; *CIRCULATION; *OCEAN BOTTOM TOPOGRAPHY; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; REPRINTS; SURFACE WATERS; BARRIERS; MIXED LAYER(MARINE); OCEAN MODELS; NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN; HYDRODYNAMICS; DEEP WATER; WORKSHOPS; INDIAN OCEAN; OCEAN BASINS; SOUTH CHINA SEA; STRAITS; SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN; EAST CHINA SEA; JAPAN SEA; JAVA SEA; OCEAN FLOWS; OVERFLOW REGIONS; *OCEAN CIRCULATION; SURFACE CURRENTS; ABYSSAL CURRENTS; EKWC(EAST KOREAN WARM CURRENT); HORIZONTAL RESOLUTION; HYDRAULIC OVERFLOWS; PE601153N; Indian; Scripps; North Atlantic; South Atlantic Ocean
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA423293; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA423293

Seafloor topography influences ocean circulation in two basic ways. First, it steers ocean flows. Second, it provides barriers that prevent deep waters from mixing, except within deep passageways that connect ocean basins or in hydraulically controlled overflow regions. This paper explores the impact of both of these processes on ocean circulation. The examples highlighted here were among the broad range of topics explored at a workshop on "Ocean Circulation, Bathymetry, and Climate," held at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in October 2002. (8 figures, 27 refs.) Published in Oceanography, Special Issue - Bathymetry from Space, v17 n1, p47-54, Mar 2004. The original document contains color images. All DTIC reproductions will be in black and white.