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| Titel |
Underwater glider observations and modeling of an abrupt mixing event in the upper ocean |
| VerfasserIn |
S. Ruiz, L. Renault, B. Garau, J. Tintoré |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2012
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 14 (2012) |
| Datensatznummer |
250062347
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| Zusammenfassung |
| An abrupt mixing event in the upper ocean is investigated in the Northwestern Mediterranean
Sea using gliders, a new ocean monitoring technology, combined with regional atmospheric
model outputs and mooring data. Intense winds (up to 20 m s-1) and buoyancy forcing
during December 2009 induced strong vertical mixing of the upper ocean layer
in the Balearic Sea. High-resolution data from a coastal glider reveal a surface
cooling of near 2Â Ë C and the deepening of the Mixed Layer Depth (MLD) by
more than 40 meters in the center of the basin. Comparisons between glider and
ship-emulated sections of hydrographic profiles show that the glider data make visible
the small-scale spatial variability of the MLD. The heat content released to the
atmosphere by the upper ocean during this mixing event exceeds 1000Â WÂ m-2.
A simulation from the Weather Research and Forecasting model reports values
consistent with these observations. Additionally the atmospheric numerical simulation
shows the development and evolution of a cyclone located south of the Balearic
Islands. This cyclone is likely to be responsible for the wind intensification and the
consequent air-sea energy exchanges that occurred in the study area during this period. |
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