Rates of Water Mass Formation in the North Atlantic Ocean
North Atlantic air-sea heat and freshwater flux data from several sources are used to estimate the conversion rate of water from one density to another throughout the range of sea surface density. This cross-isopycnal mass flux varies greatly over the ocean, with a maximum of 32.2 × 106 m3 s−1 at σ...
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ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:42207 2023-05-15T17:30:49+02:00 Rates of Water Mass Formation in the North Atlantic Ocean Speer, Kevin Tziperman, Eli 1992 text https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/42207/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/42207/1/1520-0485%281992%29022_0093_rowmfi_2.0.co%3B2.pdf https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(1992)022<0093:ROWMFI>2.0.CO;2 en eng AMS (American Meteorological Society) https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/42207/1/1520-0485%281992%29022_0093_rowmfi_2.0.co%3B2.pdf Speer, K. and Tziperman, E. (1992) Rates of Water Mass Formation in the North Atlantic Ocean. Open Access Journal of Physical Oceanography, 22 (1). pp. 93-104. DOI 10.1175/1520-0485(1992)022<0093:ROWMFI>2.0.CO;2 <https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485%281992%29022%3C0093%3AROWMFI%3E2.0.CO%3B2>. doi:10.1175/1520-0485(1992)022<0093:ROWMFI>2.0.CO;2 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Article PeerReviewed 1992 ftoceanrep https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(1992)022<0093:ROWMFI>2.0.CO;2 2023-04-07T15:38:48Z North Atlantic air-sea heat and freshwater flux data from several sources are used to estimate the conversion rate of water from one density to another throughout the range of sea surface density. This cross-isopycnal mass flux varies greatly over the ocean, with a maximum of 32.2 × 106 m3 s−1 at σ = 26.1 kg m−3 (toward greater densities) and a minimum of −7.6 × 106 m3 s−1 (toward lesser densities) at σ = 23.0 kg m−3. The air-sea fluxes force water to accumulate in three density bands: one at the lowest sea surface densities generated by heating; one centered near the density of subtropical mode water; and one spanning subpolar mode water densities. The transfer of water to the highest and lowest densities is balanced by mixing, which returns water to the middle density range, and also by boundary sources or sinks. Integrating the cross-isopycnal flux over all densities gives an annual average sinking of about 9 × 1O6 m3 s−1, which presumably escapes across the equator and must be balanced by a similar inflow. Comparison with estimates from tracer studies suggests that the renewal of tracer characteristics at a given density may occur without the existence of an annual average mass source at that density, because along- and cross-isopycnal mixing can renew a tracer without supplying mass. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) |
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Open Polar |
collection |
OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) |
op_collection_id |
ftoceanrep |
language |
English |
description |
North Atlantic air-sea heat and freshwater flux data from several sources are used to estimate the conversion rate of water from one density to another throughout the range of sea surface density. This cross-isopycnal mass flux varies greatly over the ocean, with a maximum of 32.2 × 106 m3 s−1 at σ = 26.1 kg m−3 (toward greater densities) and a minimum of −7.6 × 106 m3 s−1 (toward lesser densities) at σ = 23.0 kg m−3. The air-sea fluxes force water to accumulate in three density bands: one at the lowest sea surface densities generated by heating; one centered near the density of subtropical mode water; and one spanning subpolar mode water densities. The transfer of water to the highest and lowest densities is balanced by mixing, which returns water to the middle density range, and also by boundary sources or sinks. Integrating the cross-isopycnal flux over all densities gives an annual average sinking of about 9 × 1O6 m3 s−1, which presumably escapes across the equator and must be balanced by a similar inflow. Comparison with estimates from tracer studies suggests that the renewal of tracer characteristics at a given density may occur without the existence of an annual average mass source at that density, because along- and cross-isopycnal mixing can renew a tracer without supplying mass. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Speer, Kevin Tziperman, Eli |
spellingShingle |
Speer, Kevin Tziperman, Eli Rates of Water Mass Formation in the North Atlantic Ocean |
author_facet |
Speer, Kevin Tziperman, Eli |
author_sort |
Speer, Kevin |
title |
Rates of Water Mass Formation in the North Atlantic Ocean |
title_short |
Rates of Water Mass Formation in the North Atlantic Ocean |
title_full |
Rates of Water Mass Formation in the North Atlantic Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Rates of Water Mass Formation in the North Atlantic Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rates of Water Mass Formation in the North Atlantic Ocean |
title_sort |
rates of water mass formation in the north atlantic ocean |
publisher |
AMS (American Meteorological Society) |
publishDate |
1992 |
url |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/42207/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/42207/1/1520-0485%281992%29022_0093_rowmfi_2.0.co%3B2.pdf https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(1992)022<0093:ROWMFI>2.0.CO;2 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_relation |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/42207/1/1520-0485%281992%29022_0093_rowmfi_2.0.co%3B2.pdf Speer, K. and Tziperman, E. (1992) Rates of Water Mass Formation in the North Atlantic Ocean. Open Access Journal of Physical Oceanography, 22 (1). pp. 93-104. DOI 10.1175/1520-0485(1992)022<0093:ROWMFI>2.0.CO;2 <https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485%281992%29022%3C0093%3AROWMFI%3E2.0.CO%3B2>. doi:10.1175/1520-0485(1992)022<0093:ROWMFI>2.0.CO;2 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(1992)022<0093:ROWMFI>2.0.CO;2 |
_version_ |
1766127916501958656 |