Numerical modeling of the arctic ocean deepwater formation: Part I. Idealized study

In this study the capability of numerical models to transport anomalously dense bottom waters from the areas of their generation on the shelf to deepwater areas is considered. These numerical models have a number of mechanisms that are favorable for this transport, but unrelated directly with the real physics of that motion. A more accurate account of the resupply of oceanic deep waters requires either a very fine resolution for the numerical model or an efficient parametrization. Two such parametrizations are proposed in this study. The first is based on amplified lateral diffusion exchange if slope instability exists. The second is related to an additional procedure allowing dense waters to leak under waters of lesser density along a shelf slope with their displacement to higher layers. The first parametrization is shown to be less efficient because it leads to a significant interaction between anomaly waters and ambient waters and to a quick loss of their original features. The second procedure is more preferable because it leads to a significant resupply of dense deep waters at the expense of dense waters generated at a distance significantly far from the shelf break. With the help of the given parametrization, during a numerical experiment these waters can be transported considerable distances away from their place of generation to the shelf boundary and deepwater areas of the ocean with a slight change in their original density characteristics.