Eddy impact on the Southern Ocean ventilation
Abstract
This study examines the specific role of mesoscale eddies and coherent structures in the ventilation of the Southern Ocean through the analysis of Lagrangian particle trajectories in a suite of idealized numerical simulations. Being the biggest potential reservoir for heat and atmospheric gases, the Southern Ocean is of great importance in the Earth's climate system. Therefore, the understanding of ventilation, the process establishing communication between the surface mixed layer and the ocean interior, is crucial to quantify the storage of CO2 by the ocean and to improve climate change projections. Idealized numerical simulations of the Southern Ocean at 1/8o resolution are carried out using the NEMO Ocean General Circulation Model. Twin simulations with and without eddies having the same stratification and mean circulation, are considered using several definitions of eddies. The analysis of the differences between such simulations allows examination of the direct effect of eddies on ventilation of the Southern Ocean. The role played by coherent structures is also discussed by looking at the trajectories of particles specifically injected inside individual vortices.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012AGUFMOS32B..06P
- Keywords:
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- 4207 OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL / Arctic and Antarctic oceanography;
- 4255 OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL / Numerical modeling;
- 4520 OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICAL / Eddies and mesoscale processes