The Role of Eddy-Tansport in the Thermohaline Circulation

• Main Author: Cessi, Dr. Paola
• Other Authors: United States. Department of Energy.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: The Regents of the University of California, University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography 2011
• Subjects: Oceanography Eddy Transport; Thermohaline Circulation; Eddy Currents; Stratification; Eddy Transport; 58 Geosciences; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2172/1029393; http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc841643/

Several research themes were developed during the course of this project. (1) Low-frequency oceanic varibility; (2) The role of eddies in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) region; (3) Deep stratification and the overturning circulation. The key findings were as follows: (1) The stratification below the main thermocline (at about 500m) is determined in the circumpolar region and then communicated to the enclosed portions of the oceans through the overturning circulation. (2) An Atlantic pole-to-pole overturning circulation can be maintained with very small interior mixing as long as surface buoyancy values are shared between the northern North Atlantic and the ACC region.