We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Deep Western Boundary Current transport variability in the South Atlantic: preliminary results from a pilot array at 34.5° S.
- Authors
Meinen, C. S.; Piola, A. R.; Perez., R. C.; Garzoli, S. L.
- Abstract
The first direct estimates of the temporal variability of the absolute transport of the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) at 34.5° S in the South Atlantic Ocean are obtained using just under one year of data from a line of four pressure-equipped in- verted echo sounders. Hydrographic sections collected in 2009 and 2010 confirm the presence of the DWBC, one of the main deep pathways of the Meridional Overturning Circulation, based on neutral density, temperature, salinity, and oxygen values. Both observations confirm that the DWBC reconstitutes itself after breaking into eddies in the western sub-tropical Atlantic near 8° S. The amplitude and spectral character of the DWBC transport variability are comparable with those observed at 26.5° N, where longer records exist, with the DWBC at 34.5° S exhibiting a transport standard deviation of 25 Sv and variations of † 40 Sv occurring within periods as short as a few days. There is little indication of an annual cycle in the DWBC transports, although the observation record is too short to be definitive, and the dominant time scale during the first year of the experiment was about 9-10 days. A "Monte Carlo-style" analysis using 27 yr of model output from the same location as the observations indicates that another 48-60 months of data will be required to encompass a fairly complete span of deep transport variability. The model suggests the presence of an annual cycle in DWBC transport, however the statistical significance of the annual cycle with even 27 yr of model output is low, suggesting that annual period variations in the model are weak as well.
- Subjects
SOUTH Atlantic Ocean; ESTIMATES; ECHO sounding; HYDROGRAPHY; OXYGEN; SALINITY
- Publication
Ocean Science Discussions, 2012, Vol 9, Issue 2, p977
- ISSN
1812-0806
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5194/osd-9-977-2012