South Atlantic circulation in a world ocean model

The circulation in the South Atlantic Ocean has been simulated within a global ocean general circulation model. Preliminary analysis of the modelled ocean circulation in the region indicates a rather close agreement of the simulated upper ocean flows with conventional notions of the large-scale geostrophic currents in the region. The modelled South Atlantic Ocean witnesses the return flow and export of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) at its northern boundary, the inflow of a rather barotropic Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) through the Drake Passage, and the inflow of warm saline Agulhas water around the Cape of Good Hope. The Agulhas leakage amounts to 8.7 Sv, within recent estimates of the mass transport shed westward at the Agulhas retroflection. Topographic steering of the ACC dominates the structure of flow in the circumpolar ocean. The Benguela Current is seen to be fed by a mixture of saline Indian Ocean water (originating from the Agulhas Current) and fresher Subantarctic surface water (originating in the ACC). The Benguela Current is seen to modify its flow and fate with depth; near the surface it flows north-westwards bifurcating most of its transport northward into the North Atlantic Ocean (for ultimate replacement of North Atlantic surface waters lost to the NADW conveyor). Deeper in the water column, more of the Benguela Current is destined to return with the Brazil Current, though northward flows are still generated where the Benguela Current extension encounters the coast of South America. At intermediate levels, these northward currents trace the flow of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) equatorward, though even more AAIW is seen to recirculate poleward in the subtropical gyre. In spite of the model’s rather coarse resolution, some subtle features of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence are simulated rather well, including the latitude at which the two currents meet. Conceptual diagrams of the recirculation and interocean exchange of thermocline, intermediate and deep waters are constructed from an analysis of flows bound between isothermal and isobaric surfaces. This analysis shows how the return path of NADW is partitioned between a cold water route through the Drake Passage (6.5 Sv), a warm water route involving the Agulhas Current sheeding thermocline water westward (2.5 Sv), and a recirculation of intermediate water originating in the Indian Ocean (1.6 Sv).     

A dynamically consistent analysis of circulation and transports in the southwestern Weddell Sea

An inverse model is applied for the analysis of hydrographic and current meter data collected on the repeat WOCE section SR4 in the Weddell Sea in 1989–1992. The section crosses the Weddell Sea cyclonic gyre from Kapp Norvegia to the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula. The concepts of geostrophy, conservation of planetary vorticity and hydrostatics are combined with advective balances of active and passive properties to provide a dynamically consistent circulation pattern. Our variational assimilation scheme allows the calculation of three-dimensional velocities in the section plane. Current speeds are small except along the coasts where they reach up to 12 cm/s. We diagnose a gyre transport of 34 Sverdrup which is associated with a poleward heat transport of 28 × 10¹² W corresponding to an average heat flux of 15 Wm^–2 in the Weddell Sea south of the transect. This exceeds the estimated local flux on the transect of 2 Wm^–2. As the transect is located mostly in the open ocean, we conclude that the shelf areas contribute significantly to the ocean-atmosphere exchange and are consequently key areas for the contribution of the Weddell Sea to global ocean ventilation. Conversion of water masses occuring south of the section transform 6.6 ± 1.1 Sv of the inflowing warm deep water into approximately equal amounts of Weddell Sea deep water and Weddell Sea bottom water. The volume transport of surface water equals in the in-and outflow. This means that almost all newly formed surface water is involved in the deep and bottom water formation. Comparison with the results obtained by pure velocity interpolation combined with a hydrographic data subset indicates major differences in the derived salt transports and the water mass conversion of the surface water. The differences can be explained by deviations in the structure of the upper ocean currents to which shelf areas contribute significantly. Additionally a rigorous variance analysis is performed. When only hydrographic data are used for the inversion both the gyre transport and the poleward heat transport are substantially lower. They amount to less than 40% of our best estimate while the standard deviations of both quantities are 6.5 Sv and 37 × 10¹² W, respectively. With the help of long-term current meter measurements these errors can be reduced to 2 Sv and 8 × 10¹² W. Our result underlines the importance of velocity data or equivalent information that helps to estimate the absolute velocities.     

The impact of freshwater discharges on the ocean circulation in the Skagerrak/northern North Sea area. Part II: energy analysis

We perform eddy-permitting to eddy-resolving simulations of the Skagerrak/northern North Sea with a terrain-following numerical ocean model. We demonstrate that realistic representations of freshwater input are not required when the focus is on modelling mesoscale structures such as meanders and eddies. To arrive at this conclusion, we analyze the results using a recently developed energy diagnostic scheme to study the sensitivity to realistic representations of the lateral freshwater flux provided to the area from the Baltic Sea and by the major rivers. The scheme is suitable for analysis of growth of instabilities, and it has four basic instability processes prominent. We recognize both horizontal and vertical shear instabilities. There are two processes where average potential energy is converted to eddy kinetic energy, and they are related to the mean gradient in surface elevation and the mean lateral density gradient, respectively. The latter process is known as frontal instability. We demonstrate that the change in the eddy kinetic energy field is small, despite the large variations in the hydrographic properties from experiment to experiment. Moreover, generation of eddy activity appears at the same locations and with approximately the same strength regardless of actual representations of freshwater input. Furthermore, we find that vertical shear instability dominates the energy conversion processes in the Norwegian Coastal Current. Finally, we find that the areas off the northwest coast of Denmark recognized with enhanced eddy kinetic energy level is not caused by instability processes but eddy–eddy interaction rooted in variations in the sea level.     

Downscaling a twentieth century global climate simulation to the North Sea

The regional ocean model system (ROMS) is used to downscale a 26-year period of the twentieth century 20C3M experiment from the global coupled Bergen climate model (BCM) for the North Sea. Compared to an observational-based climatology, BCM have good results on the mean temperature, except for too low winter temperature. This is connected to a too weak inflow of Atlantic water. The downscaling gives added value to the BCM results by providing regional details, doubling the Atlantic inflow, and improving the mean winter temperature. For mean salinity, BCM has values very close to the climatology, whereas the downscaling becomes too fresh. The downscaling, however, improves the sea surface salinity, the vertical structure, and the Norwegian Coastal Current. It is concluded that the downscaling procedure as presented here is a suitable tool for assessing the future Atlantic inflow and sea temperature in the North Sea based on a global climate projection.     

Water and nutrient fluxes off Northwest Africa

A historical data set is used to describe the coastal transition zone off Northwest Africa during spring 1973 and fall 1975, from 17° to 26°N, with special emphasis on the interaction between subtropical (North Atlantic Central Waters) and tropical (South Atlantic Central Waters) gyres. The near-surface geostrophic circulation, relative to 300 m, is quite complex. Major features are a large cyclonic pattern north of Cape Blanc (21°N) and offshore flow at the Cape Verde front. The large cyclone occurs in the region of most intense winds, and resembles a large meander of the baroclinic southward upwelling jet. The Cape Verde frontal system displays substantial interleaving that may partly originate as mesoscale features at the coastal upwelling front. Property–property diagrams show that the front is an effective barrier to all properties except temperature. The analysis of the Turner angle suggests that the frontal system is characterized by large heat horizontal diffusion as a result of intense double diffusion, which results in the smoothing of the temperature horizontal gradients. Nine cross-shore sections are used to calculate along-shore geostrophic water-mass and nutrient transports and to infer exchanges between the coastal transition zone and the deep ocean (import: deep ocean to transition zone; export: transition zone to deep ocean). These exchanges compare well with mean wind-induced transports and actual geostrophic cross-shore transport estimates. The region is divided into three areas: southern (18–21°N), central (21–23.5°N), and northern (23.5–26°N). In the northern area geostrophic import is roughly compensated with wind-induced export during both seasons. In the central area geostrophic import is greater than wind-induced export during spring, resulting in net import of both water (0.8 Sv) and nitrate (14 kmol s⁻¹), but during fall both factors again roughly cancel. In the southern area geostrophy and wind join to export water and nutrients during both seasons, they increase from 0.6 Sv and 3 kmol s⁻¹ during fall to 2.9 Sv and 53 kmol s⁻¹ during spring.     

基于卫星测高交叉点的海洋表面地转流速度

在流体静力平衡状态下,海洋Coriolis力和压力梯度平衡就形成地转流,世界上大多数海流都近似为地转流.本文利用卫星测高交叉点方法计算海洋表面地转流速度,分析了利用测高交叉点计算地转流速度的不确定性,上升和下降弧段的海面倾斜在分辨率50 km上可以达到10-7量级,才可能获得优于10 cm/s的地转流速度.在低纬度或者纬度接近卫星轨道倾角的地区,由交叉点方法计算的地转流速度精度低于中纬度地区.以中国台湾东部黑潮为试验区,利用最新的中国台湾周边海域大地水准面模型参考场计算高精度的大地水准面高,利用TOPEX/Poseidon和Jason-1的GDR数据(2002~2005年)计算海面高,然后计算交叉点的动力高,确定交叉点的地转流速度,结果与中国台湾NCOR(National Center for Ocean Research)的流速基本一致.     

Modification of water masses in the Barents Sea and its coupling to ice dynamics: a model study

The physical and biological environment of the Barents Sea is characterised by large variability on a wide range of scales. Results from a numerical ocean model, SINMOD, are presented showing that the physical variability is partly forced by changes in annual net ice import. The mean contribution from ice import in the simulation period (1979–2007) is about 40% of the total amount of ice melted each year. The annual ice import into the Barents Sea varies between 143 and 1,236 km³, and this causes a substantial variability in the amount of annual ice melt in the Barents Sea. This in turn impacts the freshwater content. The simulated freshwater contribution from ice is 0.02 Sv on average and 0.04 Sv at maximum. When mixed into a mean net Atlantic Water (AW) inflow of 1.1 Sv with a salinity of 35.1, this freshwater addition decreases the salinity of the modified AW to 34.4 and 33.9 for the mean and maximum freshwater fluxes, respectively. Ice import may thus be important for the Barents Sea production of Arctic Ocean halocline water which has salinity of about 34.5. The changes in the ice melt the following summer due to ice import also affect the formation of dense water in the Barents Sea by changing stratification, altering the vertical mixing rates and affecting heat loss from the warm AW. The model results thus indicate that ice import from the Arctic has a great impact on water mass modification in the Barents Sea which in turn impacts the ventilation of the Arctic Ocean.     

Wind-driven diversion of summer river runoff preconditions the Laptev Sea coastal polynya hydrography: Evidence from summer-to-winter hydrographic records of 2007–2009

This paper examines the role of atmospheric forcing in modifying the pathways of riverine water on the Laptev Sea shelf, using summer-to-winter hydrographic surveys from 2007 to 2009. Over the two consecutive winter seasons of 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 in the area of the winter coastal polynya, our data clearly link winter surface salinity fields to the previous summer conditions, with substantially different winter salinity patterns preconditioned by summer atmospheric forcing. In the summer of 2007, dominant along-shore westerly winds in the cyclonic regime force the Lena River runoff to flow eastward. In contrast, in the summer of 2008, dominant along-shore easterly winds over the East Siberian Sea and on-shore northerly winds over the Laptev Sea in the anticyclonic regime lock the riverine water in the vicinity of the Lena Delta. Over the coastal polynya area in the southeastern Laptev Sea these patterns precondition a surface salinity difference of 8–16 psu between the winters of 2008 and 2009. Overall, this indicates a residence time of at least half a year for riverine water on the Laptev Sea shelf. Future climate change associated with an enhanced summer cyclonicity over the eastern Arctic may turn more riverine water eastward along the eastern Siberian coast, resulting in weaker vertical density stratification over the Laptev Sea shelf, with possible impact on the efficiency of vertical mixing and polynya dense water production.     

Computing cross-isotherm volume transports from ocean temperature observations and surface heat fluxes,with application to the Barents Sea inflow

A method for determining the cross-isotherm ocean transport from surface heat flux and ocean temperature data is derived. By computing the volume flux through the isotherm that extend from 19°E, 74°N to the eastern part of the Kola Peninsula, the flow through the western entrance of the Barents Sea south of 74°N is estimated. Using three different surface heat flux datasets, the inflow is found to range from 2.9 to 4.5 Sv in winter (October–March) and from 0.4 to 1.4 Sv in summer (April–September; 1 Sv=10⁶ m³ s⁻¹). The seasonal variations are stronger than indicated by results from direct current measurements, probably because the seasonal cycle of the surface heat fluxes is overestimated along the considered isotherm. The annual mean inflow ranges from 1.9 to 2.2 Sv during a cold period (1986–1988), and from 2.4 to 3.0 Sv during a warm period (1990–1992), close to reported observations.     

Interpreting the sea surface temperature warming trend in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea

Previous studies have demonstrated that the low-frequency sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea (YECS) is linked to large-scale climate variability, but explanations on the mechanisms vary. This study examines the low-frequency variability and trends of some atmospheric and oceanic variables to discuss their different effects on the YECS warming. The increasing temperature trend is also observed at a hydrographic section transecting the Kuroshio. The increasing rate of ocean temperature decreases with depth, which might result in an increase in vertical stratification and a decrease in vertical mixing, and thus plays a positive role on the YECS warming. The surface net heat flux (downward positive) displays a decreasing trend, which is possibly a result of the YECS warming, and, in turn, inhibits it. Wind speeds show different trends in different datasets, such that its role in the YECS warming is uncertain. The trends in wind stress divergence and curl have large uncertainties, so their effects on SST warming are still unclear. The Kuroshio heat transport calculated in this study, displays no significantly increasing trend, so is an unlikely explanation for the SST warming. Limited by sparse ocean observations, sophisticated assimilative climate models are still needed to unravel the mechanisms behind the YECS warming.     

Multi-core structure of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea from long-term transect observations

Long-term hydrographic temperature and salinity transect data in the East China Sea from June 1955 to November 2001 are analyzed in order to examine the geostrophic velocity and the structure of the Kuroshio current. The structure of the Kuroshio Current is divided into three basic forms, a single-core structure, a double-core structure and a multi-core structure; the appearance percentage of the three forms are 53.1%, 31.4%, and 15.4%, respectively. The analysis suggests that multi-core structures have significant seasonal and interannual variabilities that are not fully understood but may relate to variations in transport and associated flow instabilities. The Kuroshio's spatial character is also analyzed in detail by applying a simplified model of motion instability into this multi-core structure of the East China Sea Kuroshio. The theoretical results are found to be consistent with the observations, suggesting that the instability of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea may bring forth the formation of the observed multi-core structure.     

Sensitivity of coastal polynyas and high-salinity shelf water production in the Ross Sea,Antarctica, to the atmospheric forcing

Coastal polynyas around Antarctica are the place of intense air–sea exchanges which eventually lead to the formation of high-salinity shelf waters (HSSW) over continental shelves. Here, the influence of atmospheric forcing on coastal polynyas in the Ross Sea is studied by contrasting the response of a regional ocean/sea-ice circulation model to two different atmospheric forcing sets. A first forcing (DFS3) is based on ERA40 atmospheric surface variables and satellite products. A second forcing (MAR) is produced on the basis of ERA40 with a dynamical downscaling procedure. As compared to DFS3, MAR forcing is shown to improve substantially the representation of small-scale patterns of coastal winds with stronger katabatic winds along the coast. The response of the ocean/sea-ice model to the two forcing sets shows that the MAR forcing improves substantially the geographical distribution of polynyas in the Ross Sea. With the MAR forcing, the polynya season is also shown to last longer with a greater ice-production rate. As a consequence, a greater flow of dense water out of the polynyas is found with the MAR forcing and the properties of HSSW are notably improved as compared to the DFS3 forcing. The factors contributing to the activity of Terra Nova Bay and Ross Ice Shelf polynyas in the model are studied in detail. The general picture that emerges from our simulations is that the properties of HSSW are mostly set by brine rejection when the polynya season resume. We found that coastal polynyas in the Ross Sea export about 0.4 Sv of HSSW which then flows along three separate channels over the Ross Shelf. A 6-month time lag is observed between the peak of activity of polynyas and the maximum transport across the sills in the channels with a maximum transport of about 1 Sv in February. This lag corresponds to the time it takes to the newly formed HSSW to spread from the polynya to the sills (at a speed of nearly 2 cm s⁻¹).     

Along-shelf hydrographic anomalies in the Nordic Seas (1960–2011): locally generated or advective signals?

The northward flow of warm and saline Atlantic Water through the eastern Nordic Seas sustains a spring-bloom ecosystem that hosts some of the world’s largest commercial fish stocks. Abrupt climatic changes, or changes beyond species-specific thresholds, may have severe effects on species abundance and distribution. Here, we utilize a numerical ocean model hindcast to explore the similarities and differences between large-scale anomalies, such as great salinity anomalies, and along-shelf hydrographic anomalies of regional origin, which represent abrupt changes at subannual time scales. The large-scale anomalies enter the Nordic Seas to the south and propagate northward at a speed one order of magnitude less than the Atlantic Water current speed. On the contrary, wind-generated along-shelf anomalies appear simultaneously along the Norwegian continental shelf and propagate northward at speeds associated with topographically trapped Kelvin waves. This process involves changes in the vertical extent of the Atlantic Water along the continental slope. Such a dynamic oceanic response both affects thermal habitats and has the potential to ventilate shelf waters by modifying the cross-shelf transport of nutrients and key prey items for early stages of fish.     

Oceanic thermal structure in the western Canadian Arctic

Recent hydrographic data (1981–1982) from the western Canadian Arctic Archipelago and adjacent areas of the Arctic Ocean are interpreted from the viewpoint of thermal energy transfer. Within the Archipelago, a warmer halocline than in the Arctic Ocean and a cooler Atlantic layer are identified. The warmer halocline is a consequence of the continued diffusion of heat from underlying Atlantic water without a significant downward penetration from the surface of cold (≤1.5°C) seawater with salinity increased consequent to ice growth. The cooler Atlantic layer is primarily attributable to an enhanced cooling of these waters in a narrow band over the continental slope and shelf of the southern Beaufort Sea prior to their inflow into the Archipelago. Rates of transport and vertical diffusion in this region are estimated. The significance of these findings in regional and Arctic oceanography is discussed.     

The impact of freshwater discharges on the ocean circulation in the Skagerrak/northern North Sea area Part I: model validation

We assess the performance of an eddy-recognizing numerical ocean model in simulating the pattern and variability of the hydrography in the Skagerrak/northern North Sea area. The model we use is a version of the widely used Princeton ocean model employing a terrain-following vertical coordinate. Results from a series of five multi-year simulations of the mesoscale response are described. The simulations differ in their representation of the lateral freshwater supply to the model ocean of which the first is a reference simulation. The next four are variations in which the river discharges and/or the Baltic outflow are given more realistic representations. For validation, we have used in situ hydrographic data. A novelty is that we use the concepts of freshwater height and potential energy anomaly as objective validation tools. We find that, in general, the model faithfully reproduces many of the observed hydrographic features including their mean patterns and their variance. Not surprisingly, we find that the Baltic outflow is by far the most significant freshwater source in terms of its influence on the hydrography in the area, a result corroborating earlier findings. The best validation is obtained when all freshwater supply is made as realistic as possible, in particular the Baltic outflow. We also find that the large scale cyclonic circulation and the location of fronts are robust characteristics of the Skagerrak/northern North Sea circulation given the impact changes in the freshwater input has on the hydrography. Finally, we find that a further exploration of the impact of the lateral open boundary forcing, e.g., the input of Atlantic water, is needed.     

层结稳定性“豁口”与北太平洋副热带中部模态水形成机制

本文首先指出北太平洋副热带中部模态水（简称中部模态水）的形成具有显著的“局地”特征,其形成海区在（165°E～160°W,38°N～42°N）区间. 海气通量分析表明单纯的外部大气强迫场（太阳短波辐射、净热通量和风应力旋度）不能解释中部模态水形成海区的“局地”性;进一步对上层海洋层结季节变化特征的分析发现秋季（9～10月）在北太平洋中部上层海洋（<75 m）（165°E～160°W,38°N～42°N）区间存在特殊的浮力频率低值区——层结稳定性“豁口”. 该层结稳定性“豁口”作为“预条件（Precondition Mechanism）”机制对中部模态水形成的“局地”特征给出了合理的解释. 在上述研究的基础上,基于一个上层海洋混合层热平衡方程,通过诊断分析揭示该层结稳定性“豁口”是由海表热力强迫、垂向挟卷、Ekman平流和地转平流效应共同导致的,“豁口”东、西边界的确定直接或间接地取决于海表热力强迫、Ekman冷平流和地转暖平流的纬向分布差异.     

A finite element sea ice model of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

The Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) is a complex area formed by narrow straits and islands in the Arctic. It is an important pathway for freshwater and sea-ice transport from the Arctic Ocean to the Labrador Sea and ultimately to the Atlantic Ocean. The narrow straits are often crudely represented in coupled sea-ice–ocean models, leading to a misrepresentation of transports through these straits. Unstructured meshes are an alternative in modelling this complex region, since they are able to capture the complex geometry of the CAA. This provides higher resolution in the flow field and allows for more accurate transports (but not necessarily better modelling). In this paper, a finite element sea-ice model of the Arctic region is described and used to estimate the sea-ice fluxes through the CAA. The model is a dynamic–thermodynamic sea-ice model with elastic–viscous–plastic rheology and is coupled to a slab ocean, where the temperature and salinity are restored to climatology, with no velocities and surface elevation. The model is spun-up from 1973 to 1978 with NCEP/NARR reanalysis data. From 1979 to 2007, the model is forced by NCEP/DoE reanalysis data. The large scale sea-ice characteristics show good agreement with observations. The total sea-ice area agrees very well with observations and shows a sensitivity to the Arctic oscillation (AO). For 1998–2002, we find estimates for the sea-ice volume and area fluxes through Admunsen Gulf, McClure Strait and the Queen Elizabeth Islands that compare well with observation and are slightly better than estimates from other models. For Nares Strait, we find that the fluxes are much lower than observed, due to the missing effect of topographic steering on the atmospheric forcing fields. The 1979–2007 fluxes show large seasonal and interannual variability driven primarily by variability in the ice velocity field and a sensitivity to the AO and other large-scale atmospheric variability, which suggests that accurate atmospheric forcing might be crucial to modelling the CAA.     

Composition and daytime vertical distribution of the ichthyoplankton assemblage in the Central Cantabrian Sea shelf, during summer: An Eulerian study

During summer, wind driven coastal upwelling dominates in the Central Cantabrian Sea (southern Bay of Biscay). Nevertheless, atmospheric forcing is highly variable and wind pulses may cause noticeable and fast hydrographic responses in the shelf region. In this paper, the composition and vertical distribution of the summer ichthyoplankton assemblage during the daytime at a fixed station, located on the Central Cantabrian Sea shelf, are documented. Also, the impact of a short-time scale hydrographic event on the abundance and structure of the larval fish assemblage is examined. Significant small-scale temporal hydrographic variability was observed. Currents showed changes in speed and direction and significant changes in thermocline depth were also observed. A total of 34 taxa of fish larvae were identified. Engraulis encrasicolus eggs and larvae of the shelf-dwelling species Trachurus trachurus, Capros aper and E. encrasicolus dominated the ichthyoplankton assemblage. The distribution of E. encrasicolus eggs and fish larvae was vertically structured. E. encrasicolus egg concentration increased exponentially towards the surface. Fish larvae showed a subsurface peak of concentration and their vertical distribution was not conditioned by thermocline depths. The short term hydrographic event did not affect the vertical distribution of fish larvae but it accounted for significant temporal changes in larval fish assemblage structure and abundance. Results suggest that temperature and light intensity are important factors in the vertical distribution of fish larvae. They also indicate that the temporal monitoring of the larval fish assemblage in this region requires multiple sampling sites.     

Pattern of vertical velocity in the Lofoten vortex (the Norwegian Sea)

Mean radial distributions of various dynamic characteristics of the permanently existing anticyclonic Lofoten vortex (LV) in the Norwegian Sea are obtained from an eddy-permitting regional hydrodynamic MIT general circulation model. It is shown that the model adequately reproduces the observed 3D thermohaline and dynamic structure of the vortex. The obtained radial distribution of the mean vertical velocity is found to form a complex structure: with the upward fluxes along the axis in and above the anticyclonically rotating LV core, compensated by the downward fluxes in the vortex skirt. These vertical motions maintain the vortex potential energy anomaly against dissipation. This secondary circulation is generated by the centrifugal force and, to a lesser extent, by the horizontal dispersion of the vortex energy, both intensified towards the sea surface. Below the vortex core, the maximum downward vertical velocity converges towards the vortex axis with depth. At these depth levels, the secondary circulation is forced by Ekman divergence in the bottom mixed layer. The theory of columnar vortices with helical structure, applied to the LV, relate the radial profiles of the vertical velocity with those of the horizontal circulation. The theoretically predicted the radial patterns of the mean vertical velocity in the LV were close to those, obtained from the primitive equation ocean model, when approximating the radial patterns of the azimuthal velocity with the Rayleigh profile.     

On the influence of adequate Weddell Sea characteristics in a large-scale global ocean circulation model

Global ocean circulation models usually lack an adequate consideration of high-latitude processes due to a limited model domain or insufficient resolution. Without the processes in key areas of the global thermohaline circulation, the characteristics and flow of deep and bottom waters cannot be modeled realistically. In this study, a high-resolution (~20 km) ocean model focused on the Weddell Sea sector of the Southern Ocean is combined with a low-resolution (2^° × 2^°) global ocean model applying the state estimation technique. Temperature, salinity, and velocity data on two Weddell Sea sections from the regional model are used as constraints for the large-scale model in addition to satellite altimetry and sea-surface temperatures. The differences between the model with additional constraints and without document that the Weddell Sea circulation exerts significant influence on the course of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current with consequences for Southern Ocean water mass characteristics and the spreading of deep and bottom waters in the South Atlantic. Furthermore, a warming trend in the period 1993–2001 was found in the Weddell Sea and adjacent basins in agreement with float measurements in the upper Southern Ocean. Teleconnections to the North Atlantic are suggested but need further studies to demonstrate their statistical significance.