The Bransfield Gravity Current
International audience Using in situ data and laboratory experiments, we show that the circulation of the Bransfield Current (BC) around the South Shetland Islands (SSI) may be characterized in terms of a propagating buoyant gravity current. First, we describe the SSI hydrography and some drifter tr...
Published in: | Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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Online Access: | https://insu.hal.science/insu-03727089 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.003 |
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ftecoleponts:oai:HAL:insu-03727089v1 2024-06-09T07:38:59+00:00 The Bransfield Gravity Current Sangrà, Pablo Stegner, Alexander Hernández-Arencibia, Mónica Marrero-Díaz, Ángeles Salinas, Carolina Aguiar-González, Borja Henríquez-Pastene, Cristian Mouriño-Carballido, Beatriz Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539) (LMD) Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-École des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Département des Géosciences - ENS Paris École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL) Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL) Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) 2017 https://insu.hal.science/insu-03727089 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.003 en eng HAL CCSD Elsevier info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.003 insu-03727089 https://insu.hal.science/insu-03727089 BIBCODE: 2017DSRI.119.1S doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.003 ISSN: 0967-0637 Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers https://insu.hal.science/insu-03727089 Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 2017, 119, pp.1-15. ⟨10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.003⟩ South Shetland Islands Bransfield current Buoyant gravity current Laboratory experiments In situ observations [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2017 ftecoleponts https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.003 2024-05-16T12:38:37Z International audience Using in situ data and laboratory experiments, we show that the circulation of the Bransfield Current (BC) around the South Shetland Islands (SSI) may be characterized in terms of a propagating buoyant gravity current. First, we describe the SSI hydrography and some drifter trajectories, paying special attention to the recirculation of the BC at the northeastern tip and northern slopes of the SSI. We observed that when the northeastward-flowing BC reaches the northeastern tip of the SSI, it recirculates around an anticyclonic mesoscale eddy that has not previously been reported in this region. Part of this recirculating water then proceeds southwest along the northern SSI shelf break as a narrow baroclinic jet and another part join the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Consequently, the cross-slope gradients of properties strengthen, and the southern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current becomes a nearly submesoscale ( 10 km) front. Second, we compare the observations with buoyant gravity current laboratory experiments in an open basin setup where the SSI topographic barrier is represented by a central wall. The resulting circulation of the buoyant gravity current around the wall mirrors our in situ observations. First, a narrow buoyant gravity current flows northeastward along the southern boundary of the wall. Once the head of the buoyant gravity current reaches the tip of the wall, a recirculating anticyclonic vortex is generated, and the buoyant gravity current then proceeds westward along the north side of the wall. This circulation of the BC around the SSI as a buoyant gravity current may contribute to the fertilization of the waters around the SSI, as suggested by previously reported distributions of nutrients and phytoplankton. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic South Shetland Islands École des Ponts ParisTech: HAL Antarctic South Shetland Islands The Antarctic Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 119 1 15 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
École des Ponts ParisTech: HAL |
op_collection_id |
ftecoleponts |
language |
English |
topic |
South Shetland Islands Bransfield current Buoyant gravity current Laboratory experiments In situ observations [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] |
spellingShingle |
South Shetland Islands Bransfield current Buoyant gravity current Laboratory experiments In situ observations [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] Sangrà, Pablo Stegner, Alexander Hernández-Arencibia, Mónica Marrero-Díaz, Ángeles Salinas, Carolina Aguiar-González, Borja Henríquez-Pastene, Cristian Mouriño-Carballido, Beatriz The Bransfield Gravity Current |
topic_facet |
South Shetland Islands Bransfield current Buoyant gravity current Laboratory experiments In situ observations [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] |
description |
International audience Using in situ data and laboratory experiments, we show that the circulation of the Bransfield Current (BC) around the South Shetland Islands (SSI) may be characterized in terms of a propagating buoyant gravity current. First, we describe the SSI hydrography and some drifter trajectories, paying special attention to the recirculation of the BC at the northeastern tip and northern slopes of the SSI. We observed that when the northeastward-flowing BC reaches the northeastern tip of the SSI, it recirculates around an anticyclonic mesoscale eddy that has not previously been reported in this region. Part of this recirculating water then proceeds southwest along the northern SSI shelf break as a narrow baroclinic jet and another part join the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Consequently, the cross-slope gradients of properties strengthen, and the southern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current becomes a nearly submesoscale ( 10 km) front. Second, we compare the observations with buoyant gravity current laboratory experiments in an open basin setup where the SSI topographic barrier is represented by a central wall. The resulting circulation of the buoyant gravity current around the wall mirrors our in situ observations. First, a narrow buoyant gravity current flows northeastward along the southern boundary of the wall. Once the head of the buoyant gravity current reaches the tip of the wall, a recirculating anticyclonic vortex is generated, and the buoyant gravity current then proceeds westward along the north side of the wall. This circulation of the BC around the SSI as a buoyant gravity current may contribute to the fertilization of the waters around the SSI, as suggested by previously reported distributions of nutrients and phytoplankton. |
author2 |
Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539) (LMD) Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-École des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Département des Géosciences - ENS Paris École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL) Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL) Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sangrà, Pablo Stegner, Alexander Hernández-Arencibia, Mónica Marrero-Díaz, Ángeles Salinas, Carolina Aguiar-González, Borja Henríquez-Pastene, Cristian Mouriño-Carballido, Beatriz |
author_facet |
Sangrà, Pablo Stegner, Alexander Hernández-Arencibia, Mónica Marrero-Díaz, Ángeles Salinas, Carolina Aguiar-González, Borja Henríquez-Pastene, Cristian Mouriño-Carballido, Beatriz |
author_sort |
Sangrà, Pablo |
title |
The Bransfield Gravity Current |
title_short |
The Bransfield Gravity Current |
title_full |
The Bransfield Gravity Current |
title_fullStr |
The Bransfield Gravity Current |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Bransfield Gravity Current |
title_sort |
bransfield gravity current |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://insu.hal.science/insu-03727089 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.003 |
geographic |
Antarctic South Shetland Islands The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic South Shetland Islands The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic South Shetland Islands |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic South Shetland Islands |
op_source |
ISSN: 0967-0637 Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers https://insu.hal.science/insu-03727089 Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 2017, 119, pp.1-15. ⟨10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.003⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.003 insu-03727089 https://insu.hal.science/insu-03727089 BIBCODE: 2017DSRI.119.1S doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.003 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2016.11.003 |
container_title |
Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers |
container_volume |
119 |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
15 |
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1801376564341899264 |