Two Modes of Gulf Stream Variability Revealed in the Last Two Decades of Satellite Altimeter Data
Monthly mapped sea level anomalies (MSLAs) of the NW Atlantic in the region immediately downstream of the Gulf Stream (GS) separation point reveal a leading mode in which the path shifts approximately 100 km meridionally about a nominal latitude of 39 degrees N, producing coherent sea level anomaly...
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ftunivlaspalmas:oai:accedacris.ulpgc.es:10553/72507 2023-05-15T17:36:18+02:00 Two Modes of Gulf Stream Variability Revealed in the Last Two Decades of Satellite Altimeter Data Pérez Hernández, María Dolores Joyce, Terrence M. 50861902200 34975057000 3057975 264375 WOS:Perez-Hernandez, MD WOS:Joyce, TM 2014 http://hdl.handle.net/10553/72507 https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-13-0136.1 eng eng Journal of Physical Oceanography 44 0022-3670 WoS http://hdl.handle.net/10553/72507 doi:10.1175/JPO-D-13-0136.1 84892667611 000335802100016 1520-0485 1 Journal Of Physical Oceanography [ISSN 0022-3670], v. 44 (1), p. 149-163, (Enero 2014) North-Atlantic Oscillation Western Boundary Current Cape-Hatteras Circulation Models Propagation Path Meanders Position Shifts East Atlantic Ocean Circulation Dynamics Boundary Currents Ocean Dynamics Observational Techniques And Algorithms Altimetry Mathematical And Statistical Techniques Empirical Orthogonal Functions info:eu-repo/semantics/Article Article 2014 ftunivlaspalmas https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-13-0136.1 2020-06-09T23:09:14Z Monthly mapped sea level anomalies (MSLAs) of the NW Atlantic in the region immediately downstream of the Gulf Stream (GS) separation point reveal a leading mode in which the path shifts approximately 100 km meridionally about a nominal latitude of 39 degrees N, producing coherent sea level anomaly (SLA) variability from 72 degrees to 50 degrees W. This mode can be captured by use of a simple 16-point index based on SLA data taken along the maximum of the observed variability in the region 33 degrees-46 degrees N and 45 degrees-75 degrees W. The GS shifts between 2010 and 2012 are the largest of the last decade and equal to the largest of the entire record. The second group of EOF modes of variability describes GS meanders, which propagate mainly westward interrupted by brief periods of eastward or stationary meanders. These meanders have wavelengths of approximately 400 km and can be seen in standard EOFs by spatial phase shifting of a standing meander pattern in the SLA data. The spectral properties of these modes indicate strong variability at interannual and longer periods for the first mode and periods of a few to several months for the meanders. While the former is quite similar to a previous use of the altimeter for GS path, the simple index is a useful measure of the large-scale shifts in the GS path that is quickly estimated and updated without changes in previous estimates. The time-scale separation allows a low-pass filtered 16-point index to be reflective of large-scale, coherent shifts in the GS path. 163 149 15 Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Acceda Separation Point ENVELOPE(-93.468,-93.468,75.135,75.135) Journal of Physical Oceanography 44 1 149 163 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Acceda |
op_collection_id |
ftunivlaspalmas |
language |
English |
topic |
North-Atlantic Oscillation Western Boundary Current Cape-Hatteras Circulation Models Propagation Path Meanders Position Shifts East Atlantic Ocean Circulation Dynamics Boundary Currents Ocean Dynamics Observational Techniques And Algorithms Altimetry Mathematical And Statistical Techniques Empirical Orthogonal Functions |
spellingShingle |
North-Atlantic Oscillation Western Boundary Current Cape-Hatteras Circulation Models Propagation Path Meanders Position Shifts East Atlantic Ocean Circulation Dynamics Boundary Currents Ocean Dynamics Observational Techniques And Algorithms Altimetry Mathematical And Statistical Techniques Empirical Orthogonal Functions Pérez Hernández, María Dolores Joyce, Terrence M. Two Modes of Gulf Stream Variability Revealed in the Last Two Decades of Satellite Altimeter Data |
topic_facet |
North-Atlantic Oscillation Western Boundary Current Cape-Hatteras Circulation Models Propagation Path Meanders Position Shifts East Atlantic Ocean Circulation Dynamics Boundary Currents Ocean Dynamics Observational Techniques And Algorithms Altimetry Mathematical And Statistical Techniques Empirical Orthogonal Functions |
description |
Monthly mapped sea level anomalies (MSLAs) of the NW Atlantic in the region immediately downstream of the Gulf Stream (GS) separation point reveal a leading mode in which the path shifts approximately 100 km meridionally about a nominal latitude of 39 degrees N, producing coherent sea level anomaly (SLA) variability from 72 degrees to 50 degrees W. This mode can be captured by use of a simple 16-point index based on SLA data taken along the maximum of the observed variability in the region 33 degrees-46 degrees N and 45 degrees-75 degrees W. The GS shifts between 2010 and 2012 are the largest of the last decade and equal to the largest of the entire record. The second group of EOF modes of variability describes GS meanders, which propagate mainly westward interrupted by brief periods of eastward or stationary meanders. These meanders have wavelengths of approximately 400 km and can be seen in standard EOFs by spatial phase shifting of a standing meander pattern in the SLA data. The spectral properties of these modes indicate strong variability at interannual and longer periods for the first mode and periods of a few to several months for the meanders. While the former is quite similar to a previous use of the altimeter for GS path, the simple index is a useful measure of the large-scale shifts in the GS path that is quickly estimated and updated without changes in previous estimates. The time-scale separation allows a low-pass filtered 16-point index to be reflective of large-scale, coherent shifts in the GS path. 163 149 15 |
author2 |
50861902200 34975057000 3057975 264375 WOS:Perez-Hernandez, MD WOS:Joyce, TM |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pérez Hernández, María Dolores Joyce, Terrence M. |
author_facet |
Pérez Hernández, María Dolores Joyce, Terrence M. |
author_sort |
Pérez Hernández, María Dolores |
title |
Two Modes of Gulf Stream Variability Revealed in the Last Two Decades of Satellite Altimeter Data |
title_short |
Two Modes of Gulf Stream Variability Revealed in the Last Two Decades of Satellite Altimeter Data |
title_full |
Two Modes of Gulf Stream Variability Revealed in the Last Two Decades of Satellite Altimeter Data |
title_fullStr |
Two Modes of Gulf Stream Variability Revealed in the Last Two Decades of Satellite Altimeter Data |
title_full_unstemmed |
Two Modes of Gulf Stream Variability Revealed in the Last Two Decades of Satellite Altimeter Data |
title_sort |
two modes of gulf stream variability revealed in the last two decades of satellite altimeter data |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10553/72507 https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-13-0136.1 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-93.468,-93.468,75.135,75.135) |
geographic |
Separation Point |
geographic_facet |
Separation Point |
genre |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
op_source |
Journal Of Physical Oceanography [ISSN 0022-3670], v. 44 (1), p. 149-163, (Enero 2014) |
op_relation |
Journal of Physical Oceanography 44 0022-3670 WoS http://hdl.handle.net/10553/72507 doi:10.1175/JPO-D-13-0136.1 84892667611 000335802100016 1520-0485 1 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-13-0136.1 |
container_title |
Journal of Physical Oceanography |
container_volume |
44 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
149 |
op_container_end_page |
163 |
_version_ |
1766135751091683328 |