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| Titel |
Determining Mixing and Circulation in the Southern Ocean |
| VerfasserIn |
J. D. Zika, T. J. McDougall, B. M. Sloyan |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2009
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 11 (2009) |
| Datensatznummer |
250020549
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| Zusammenfassung |
| The strength and structure of the Southern Hemisphere Meridional Overturning Circulation
(SMOC) is related to the along-isopycnal and vertical mixing coefficients (K and D
respectively) by analysing tracer and density fields from hydrographic data. The total
transports across temperature contours on isopycnals, inferred from both tracer and density
distributions suggest a ratio of K to D of order 106 particularly on deeper layers of
Upper Circumpolar Deep Water. Analysis of the overturning circulation for such a
balance reveals a view of the SMOC where deep water is transferred to lighter and
denser layers in the Southern Ocean not only at the surface but also in the ocean
interior with vertical mixing playing an important role. We relate the cross contour
transport to a geostrophic streamfunction on ispoycnal surfaces. A new inverse
method is then developed. In this method points sharing the same temperature and
salinity, such as along the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, are connected by Tracer
Tubes. Here vertical and along isopycnal mixing processes as well as the mean
and residual circulations may be inferred directly from the observed hydrography. |
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