Numerical study of the meridional overturning circulation with “mixing hotspots” in the Pacific Ocean

Using an idealized ocean general circulation model, we examine the effect of “mixing hotspots” (localized regions of intense diapycnal mixing) predicted based on internal wave-wave interaction theory (Hibiya et al., 2006) on the meridional overturning circulation of the Pacific Ocean. Although the assumed diapycnal diffusivity in the mixing hotspots is a little larger than the predicted value, the upwelling in the mixing hotspots is not sufficient to balance the deep-water production; out of 17 Sv of the downwelled water along the southern boundary, only 9.2 Sv is found to upwell in the mixing hotspots. The imbalance as much as 7.8 Sv is compensated by entrainment into the surface mixed layer in the vicinity of the downwelling region. As a result, the northward transport of the deep water crossing the equator is limited to 5.5 Sv, much less than estimated from previous current meter moorings and hydrographic surveys. One plausible explanation for this is that the magnitude of the meridional overturning circulation of the Pacific Ocean has been overestimated by these observations. We raise doubts about the validity of the previous ocean general circulation models where diapycnal diffusivity is assigned ad hoc to attain the current magnitude suggested from current meter moorings and hydrographic surveys.     

Balance of Volume Transports between Horizontal Circulation and Meridional Overturn in the North Pacific Subarctic Region

Horizontal and meridional volume transports on timescales from intra-seasonal to interannual in the North Pacific subarctic region were investigated using a reanalysis dataset for 1993–2001 that was constructed from an assimilation of the TOPEX altimeter and in situ data into an eddy-permitting North Pacific ocean general circulation model. The barotropic flow is excited along east of the Emperor Seamounts by the western intensification dynamics. The volume transport of this flow compensates for that across the interior region east of the Seamounts below the summit depth of the Seamounts. The Oyashio, which is also considered as a compensation flow for the transport in the whole interior region, includes baroclinic as well as barotropic components. Baroclinic transports in the whole interior region exceed those in the western boundary region in the upper (200–1000 m) and lower (2000–5000 m) layers, and the total transport is northward (southward) in the upper (lower) layer. These excesses of the baroclinic transport are balanced by a vertical transport of the meridional overturn. The meridional overturn has a complementary relation to the basin-scale baroclinic circulation in the North Pacific subactic region. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Deep-water circulation in the North Pacific deduced from Si-O diagrams

A simple dissolved silica (Si) and dissolved oxygen (O) diagram method was applied to study the deep-water circulation in the North Pacific and the following results and conclusion have been obtained. In the abyssal water flowing northward in the western Pacific Si increases with a constant ratio of Si to decreasing O(Si/O=–0.30). The water is designated as the main sequence. In the eastern Pacific the Si-O diagram is characteristic of the location and reflects the degrees of mixing with older waters and of alteration due to decomposition of biogenic material. The Bay of Alaska is found to be a great source of silica in the North Pacific and its bottom water spreads out to the central North Pacific north of 40°N, called here the abyssal front. The younger abyssal water in the Aleutian Trench flowing to the eastern North Pacific north of 40°N comes through the north end of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench instead of the gap in the Emperor Seamounts at about 46°N. The deep water is almost completely homogenized by active isopycnal mixing and advection when the deep water reaches its upper boundary by upwelling in the western North Pacific including the Bering Sea. Thus the high productivity in the Bering Sea is principally caused neither by the direct supply of abyssal water rich in nutrients nor by the extremely active vertical mixing reaching depths greater than 500 m, but it may be caused simply by the shallower upper boundary of the deep water mass in the Bering Sea, from which nutrients are easily transported to the surface.     

An extended variable-grid global ocean circulation model and its preliminary results of the equatorial Pacific circulation

1IntroductionThetropicalPacificOceanplaysanimpor-tantroleintheclimatevariabilitiessuchasElNi-no-SouthernOscillation(ENSO)phenomenon(Chao,1993).ManystudieshavefoundthatthetropicalPacificvariabilitiescanhavesignifi-cantinfluenceontheoceancirculationintheseasadjacenttoChina(Yu,1985;Chaoetal.,1996;Wangetal.,2002).TheseaareaadjacenttoChinaischaracterizedbyitscomplextopog-raphyandnumerousnarrowstraits,andthusre-quiresafinegridtoresolve.Tostudytheinter-actionbetweenthetropicalPacificandChinas…     

A numerical experiment on the variations of western boundary currents: Part I. Formation of western boundary currents

A numerical experiment is made using a barotropic model for the western boundary currents. The time-dependent, non-linear vorticity equation is integrated with and without the variable of bottom topography. The inertial and frictional boundary flow is resolved with a fine grid size of 10 km. Connection of the western boundary currents with the general circulation is facilitated by giving the fixed Sverdrup transport at the eastern boundary of the model (400 km offshore).For the flat bottom topography, steady flow forRe=35 shows dynamical balance essentially of a frictional model. The transient response leading to the formation of the western boundary currents in the model seems to support theLighthill's theory (1969). ForRe=350, unsteady features revealed byBryan (1963) is re-established. A phenomenon of barotropic instability is also observed with sufficient resolution. For the model with a continental slope the steady flow is also obtained forRe=35. The boundary currents flow over the continental slope, deviating offshore as they flow northward.     

Geopotential topography of deep levels in the Pacific Ocean

After examination of the baroclinic structure below 3000 db, recent data were used to map the geopotential topography at 1000, 1500, and 2000 db (referred to 3000 db) in the Pacific Ocean. In the high-latitude regions and in the western boundary currents, considerable relief is present at 1000 and 1500 db, and the Circumpolar Current is still well-developed at 2000 db. The geostrophic circulation inferred is very similar to the surface circulation in these areas. Neglect of the structure below 1000 db results in appreciable errors in estimates of the transport of these currents; direction of near-surface flow is properly shown, however, and computed speeds are not greatly in error. In the equatorial Pacific and central North Pacific, little relief is present, and the trends are generally unlike the surface flow.     

热带西太平洋海表盐度的变化特征及其对淡水通量的响应

基于1980~2015年的全球简单海洋资料同化分析系统(SODA)、全球海气通量(OAFlux)和全球降水气候学计划(GPCP)等海洋、大气观测再分析资料,采用线性拟合、经验正交函数(EOF)分解、相关分析和波谱分析等数理统计方法,分析了热带西太平洋海表盐度(SSS)和淡水通量时空变化特征及其关系.结果表明,SSS与淡水通量的气候态及长期线性变化趋势有较好的空间对应关系,两者均有多种时间尺度的EOF模态,其年代际变化模态有较好的正相关关系,并与太平洋年代际振荡(PDO)有密切的滞后相关.分析表明,PDO可能通过影响Walker环流的变化来影响热带西太平洋的淡水通量分布,从而影响SSS的时空格局.     

Have there been recent changes in climate? Ask the fish

It is generally accepted that a climate shift occurred about 1977 that affected the dynamics of North Pacific marine ecosystems. Agreement on the possibility of further climate shifts in 1989 and the late 1990s is yet to be achieved. However, there have been changes in the dynamics of key commercial fishes that indicate changes in their environment occurred in the early 1990s, and possibly around 1998. One method of measuring climate change is to observe the dynamics of species that could be affected.Several studies have described decadal-scale changes in North Pacific climate–ocean conditions. Generally, these studies focus on a single index. Using principal components analysis, we use a composite index based on three aspects of climate ocean conditions: the Aleutian Low Pressure Index, the Pacific Atmospheric Circulation Index and the Pacific Interdecadal Oscillation Index. We link this composite index (Atmospheric Forcing Index) to decadal-scale changes in British Columbia salmon and other fish populations. Around 1989 there was a change from intense Aleutian Lows (above average south-westerly and westerly circulation patterns and warming of coastal sea surface temperatures) to average Aleutian Lows (less frequent south-westerly and westerly circulation and slightly cooler coastal sea surface temperatures in winter). These climate–ocean changes were associated with changes in the abundance and ocean survival of salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), distribution and spawning behaviour of hake (Merluccius productus) and sardines (Sardinops sagax) and in recruitment patterns of several groundfish species.     

Two layer model of the steady ocean response to large-scale heating and cooling

Steady response of a linear, two-layer baroclinic ocean to a steady thermal forcing was investigated on a mid-latitude -plane. Surface heat flux and its relaxation processes were parametrized as a form of heating function and Newtonian cooling term of cross interfacial velocityw in the continuity equation. Ageostrophic linear drag terms were employed to represent the western boundary layer for accomplishment of the steady circulation in the closed domain. In the interior, the dynamics belongs to thef-plane regime. The flow in the upper layer is zonal and eastward, which is the same as that expected in the channel without meridional boundary. The eastern boundary region is the so called Sverdrup region, in which the vortex stretching balances the term, thoughw contains a damping term. It directs the zonal flow southward (northward) in the south (north) followed by upwelling (downwelling) and forms the two gyres. Western boundary region is of the Stommel type except the upwelling (downwelling) in the south (north). The meridional circulation is similar to the Hadley Cell except southern and northern boundary layers. However, its strength is much greater than the latters.     

Numerical investigation of the South China Sea deep circulation

Based on a two-level nested model from the global ocean to the western Pacific and then to the South China Sea（SCS）, the high-resolution SCS deep circulation is numerically investigated. The SCS deep circulation shows a basin-scale cyclonic structure with a strong southward western boundary current in summer（July）, a northeastsouthwest through-flow pattern across the deep basin without a western boundary current in winter（January）,and a transitional pattern in spring and autumn. The sensitivity ...     

ENSO相联系的热带太平洋上层海洋异常环流

本文使用SODA(simple ocean data assimilation)海洋同化资料,系统分析了厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation,ENSO)循环中冷暖位相期间热带太平洋上层海洋环流的演变规律,探讨了形成海洋环流异常的新机制。结果表明,在厄尔尼诺成熟期,热带中东太平洋赤道潜流最弱,赤道两侧出现反气旋性环流异常;西太平洋赤道外热带海域出现气旋性环流异常,该区南、北赤道流、棉兰老流、黑潮、新几内亚沿岸潜流及南赤道逆流增强;北赤道逆流区出现异常气旋性环流串,北赤道逆流接近正常。在厄尔尼诺衰退期和拉尼娜发展期,热带中西太平洋赤道潜流达到极强,赤道两侧出现气旋性环流异常;西太平洋赤道外热带海域异常环流减弱,该处主要流场的强度减弱或处于正常状态;北赤道逆流区反转为异常西向流。结果表明, ENSO循环期间的上层海洋环流异常受到热带太平洋温跃层深度异常产生的压强梯度力异常调控,在赤道外热带海洋温跃层深度异常和科里奥利力共同作用产生大尺度海洋环流异常,而在赤道海域,海洋温跃层深度异常和Gill效应造成赤道潜流异常以及关于赤道对称的气旋或反气旋性环流异常。     

East-west oscillation of sea temperature in the Equatorial Pacific and its modelling

In this paper, by analyzing the data of sea temperature in the Equatorial Western Pacific (EWP), we found that the sea temperature at sensitive district (WSST) (about at 6° N, depth of 125-150 m) is correlated negatively to the sea temperature in the Equatorial Eastern Pacific (EEP). On the basis of basic characteristics of Equatorial Pacific atmosphere and ocean, we designed a simple air-sea coupled model. Using this model,an ocean circulation was simulated. The east-west oscillation of sea temperature in Equatorial Pacific is related to this ocean circulation.     

ENSO循环相联系的北太平洋低纬度异常西边界流

用SODA海洋同化和NCEP大气再分析资料,分析了热带太平洋次表层海温异常主要模态与北太平洋低纬度西边界流海域上层海洋环流和亚洲-北太平洋地区大气垂直和水平流场变化之间的关系,得到以下结果:（1） 在热带太平洋海洋次表层ENSO事件具有两种模态,二者组合构成ENSO循环。第一模态为ENSO成熟期,主要出现在冬季,第二模态为ENSO过渡期,主要出现夏季。（2） ENSO循环对北太平洋低纬度西边界流区上层海洋环流有重要影响。在El Niño发展期或La Niña 衰退期,该区出现气旋性异常环流,北赤道流（NEC）加强,NEC分叉位置北移,棉兰老海流（MC）加大,菲律宾以东黑潮（KC）减小,北赤道逆流（NECC）最强。在El Niño（La Niña）成熟期,该区气旋性（反气旋性）异常环流达最强,NEC最强（最弱）,NEC分叉位置最北（最南）,MC最大（最小）,KC最小（最大）,NECC减弱（加强）。在El Niño衰退期或La Niña发展期与El Niño发展期相反,该区出现反气旋性异常环流,由此导致相应流系异常发生反位相变化。（3） ENSO循环对北太平洋低纬度西边界流海域上层海洋环流的影响是通过ENSO事件期间热带太平洋热力状况异常改变上空大气环流来实现的。ENSO事件首先造成热带太平洋海洋热力状况异常,导致其上空对流活动异常,后者直接或间接通过“大气桥”能量传输引起相关地区大气环流场的变化,致使海面风应力场异常,进而强迫上层海洋环流场的相应变化。文章最后还分析了ENSO事件期间菲律宾附近异常反气旋或异常气旋性风场的产生和持续原因,讨论了北太平洋低纬度西边界流海域海气相互作用在ENSO循环中的贡献。     

Propagation of Rossby Waves over Ridges Excited by Interannual Wind Forcing in a Western North Pacific Model

Numerical experiments with a multi-level general circulation model have been performed to investigate basic processes of westward propagation of Rossby waves excited by interannual wind stress forcing in an idealized western North Pacific model with ocean ridges. When the wind forcing with an oscillation period of 3 years is imposed around 180°E and 30°N, far from Japan, barotropic waves excited by the wind can hardly cross the ridges, such as the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge. On the other hand, a large part of the first-mode baroclinic waves are transmitted across the ridges, having net mass transport. The propagation speed of the first-mode baroclinic wave is accelerated (decelerated) when an anticyclonic (cyclonic) circulation is formed at the sea surface, due to a deeper (shallower) upper layer, and to southward (slightly northward) drift of the circulation. Thus, when the anticyclonic circulation is formed on the northern side of the cyclonic one, they propagate almost together. The second-mode baroclinic waves converted from the first-mode ones on the ridges arrive south of Japan, although their effects are small. The resulting volume transport variation of the western boundary current (the Kuroshio) reaches about 60% of the Sverdrup transport variability estimated from the wind stress. These characteristics are common for the interannual forcing case with a longer oscillation period. In the intraseasonal and seasonal forcing cases, on the other hand, the transport variation is much smaller than those in the interannual forcing cases. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of bottom topography and density stratification on the formation of western boundary currents

A wind-driven, general circulation for a two-layer ocean with continental shelf-slope along the western boundary is studied numerically. Special attention is focused on the formation process of the western boundary current in the subtropical gyre. The western boundary current develops in the upper layer along the western boundary on the shelf-slope with a bottom trapped poleward flow in the lower layer. The poleward undercurrent is concentrated approximately along the contour lines of the potential vorticity,f/D, wheref is the Coriolis parameter andD the depth of the ocean. The separation of upper- and lower-layer flows on the shelf-slope represents a typical transient response. As the response approaches a steady state, the poleward undercurrent decreases in amplitude, and the motion tends to be confined to the upper layer. The flow pattern becomes similar to that found in a flat bottom ocean. A steady-state response is expected to be isostatic (no motion in the lower layer), even on the shelf-slope, as conservation of potential vorticity would suggest.The remarkable increase in transport of the western boundary current produced by the formation of an anticyclonic vortex on the shelf-slope extending throughout the hemisphere (Holland, 1973) does not occur in the wind-driven general circulation.     

Pacific ocean circulation based on observation

A thorough understanding of the Pacific Ocean circulation is a necessity to solve global climate and environmental problems. Here we present a new picture of the circulation by integrating observational results. Lower and Upper Circumpolar Deep Waters (LCDW, UCDW) and Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) of 12, 7, and 5 Sv (10⁶ m³s⁻¹) in the lower and upper deep layers and the surface/intermediate layer, respectively, are transported to the North Pacific from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). The flow of LCDW separates in the Central Pacific Basin into the western (4 Sv) and eastern (8 Sv) branches, and nearly half of the latter branch is further separated to flow eastward south of the Hawaiian Ridge into the Northeast Pacific Basin (NEPB). A large portion of LCDW on this southern route (4 Sv) upwells in the southern and mid-latitude eastern regions of the NEPB. The remaining eastern branch joins nearly half of the western branch; the confluence flows northward and enters the NEPB along the Aleutian Trench. Most of the LCDW on this northern route (5 Sv) upwells to the upper deep layer in the northern (in particular northeastern) region of the NEPB and is transformed into North Pacific Deep Water (NPDW). NPDW shifts southward in the upper deep layer and is modified by mixing with UCDW around the Hawaiian Islands. The modified NPDW of 13 Sv returns to the ACC. The remaining volume in the North Pacific (11 Sv) flows out to the Indian and Arctic Oceans in the surface/intermediate layer.     

North Pacific Intermediate Water: Progress in SAGE (SubArctic Gyre Experiment) and Related Projects

We survey the recent progress in studies of North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) in SAGE (SubArctic Gyre Experiment), including important results obtained from related projects. Intensive observations have provided the transport distributions relating to NPIW and revealed the existence of the cross-wind-driven gyre Oyashio water transport that flows directly from the subarctic to subtropical gyres through the western boundary current as well as the diffusive contribution across the subarctic front. The anthropogenic CO₂ transport into NPIW has been estimated. The northern part of NPIW in the Transition Domain east of Japan is transported to the Gulf of Alaska, feeding the mesothermal (intermediate temperature maximum) structure in the North Pacific subarctic region where deep convection is restricted by the strong halocline maintained by the warm and salty water transport originating from NPIW. This heat and salt transport is mostly balanced by the cooling and freshening in the formation of dense shelf water accompanied by sea-ice formation and convection in the Okhotsk Sea. Intensive observational and modeling studies have substantially altered our view of the intermediate-depth circulation in the North Pacific. NPIW circulations are related to diapycnal-meridional overturning, generated around the Okhotsk Sea due to tide-induced diapycnal mixing and dense shelf water formation accompanied by sea-ice formation in the Okhotsk Sea. This overturning circulation may possibly explain the direct cross-gyre transport through the Oyashio along the western boundary from the subarctic to subtropical gyres. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

ENSO事件次表层海温的两个模态及其对大气环流的影响

利用SODA海洋同化资料和NCEP再分析大气资料,分析了热带太平洋次表层海温异常(subsurfaceoceantemperatureanomaly,SOTA)与厄尔尼诺与南方涛动(ElNi?o-SouthernOscillation,ENSO)循环的联系,及SOTA对大气环流的影响。回顾传统ENSO研究,指出存在的问题,提出了ENSO影响大气研究的新思路,得到以下结果:(1)以SOTA为基本资料的研究发现, ENSO事件有两个模态,主要出现在冬季的第一模态对冬季及夏季亚洲-北太平洋-北美地区上空中高纬大气环流有重要影响,主要出现在夏季的第二模态对该地区上空夏季热带和副热带大气系统有重要作用。(2)ENSO事件通过与ENSO相联系的热带太平洋海面温度异常(ENSO-relatedseasurface temperatureanomaly,RSSTA)对大气的异常热通量输送,强迫Walker环流和Hadley环流变化,导致热带和北太平洋及周边地区上空大气环流异常,进而影响相关地区冬季和夏季的气候。(3)海表面温度异常(seasurfacetemperatureanomaly,SSTA)包含RSSTA和大气异常导致的海温变化(sea temperature anomaly caused by atmospheric anomaly, STA)两部分, RSSTA是ENSO事件过程中海洋内部热动力结构调整导致的海面温度变化,在海洋对大气的热输送过程中,它随ENSO事件演变不断更新;STA是大气受RSSTA海洋异常加热后导致的大气环流异常对海面温度的影响,在海洋浅表层STA对RSSTA有重大影响。本文最后讨论了ENSO事件期间热带海洋对大气热输送过程,指出ENSO事件通过海洋内部热动力结构调整产生RSSTA,它直接对大气异常加热,导致大气环流和气候异常,局地海气之间负反馈过程产生STA,反过来抑制RSSTA。结果还指出,人们常用的SSTA变率实际上主要由秋冬季节RSSTA主导,丢失了春夏季ENSO信息,用SSTA研究ENSO事件存在局限性,这也可能是ENSO事件春季预报障碍的原因之一。     

太平洋海温异常对南海西南季风建立早晚的影响——数值模拟研究

利用9层15波全球大气环流谱模式研究了太平洋海温异常对南海西南季风建立早晚的影响作用.结果表明:西-中太平洋海温异常数值试验结果最能反映出南海西南季风爆发早、晚年4～5月份大气环流的差异特征.数值试验结果显示:西太平洋海温正(负)异常可导致西太平洋副高减弱(加强);中太平洋海温正(负)异常主要使得中太平洋上空的洋中槽减弱(加深);东太平洋海温正(负)异常可造成东太平洋赤道两侧高层环流产生反气旋性(气旋性)变化,孟加拉湾-南海-西太平洋热带地区出现东风(西风)异常,西太副高加强(减弱).可见西太平洋海温异常和东太平洋海温异常都可以对副高强弱变化产生明显影响,从而对南海西南季风建立早晚产生影响,只不过西太平洋海温异常的影响作用更为显著.西太平洋正(负)海温异常与中太平洋负(正)海温异常经常是同时出现的,其激发出的与向东传的Kelvin波和向西传的行星波相联系的环流异常为南海季风建立早(晚)提供有利的条件,因而这一海温分布型是影响南海西南季风建立早晚的重要影响因子.     

Response of the atmospheric circulation in non-tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere to processes taking place in the tropical region

The paper concentrates on the response of the atmospheric circulation non-tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere to considerable sea surface temperature anomalies regularly occurring in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, related to the El Niño event. It has been established that during El Niño, zonal western circulation and meridional southern circulation tend to decay (being ?2.6% and ?5.4% respectively), while meridional northern circulation intensifies (+8.0%). The paper examines regional peculiarities of the non-tropical atmospheric response to the processes taking in the tropics. It is shown that atmospheric circulation reconstruction is most essential in the Siberian (10.4%) and Pacific (10.2%) sections and is minimal (4.3%) in the Atlantic region. These peculiarities of the regional atmospheric circulation reconstruction may be taken into account to predict short-term climatic variations in the Northern Hemisphere.