Horizontal Stratification during Deep Convection in the Labrador Sea
Horizontal Stratification during Deep Convection in the Labrador Sea
Deep convection—the process by which surface waters are mixed down to 1000 m or deeper—forms the primary downwelling of the meridional overturning circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. High-resolution hydrographic measurements from Seagliders indicate that during deep convection—though water is well mixed vertically—there is substantial horizontal variation in density over short distances (tens of kilometers). This horizontal density variability present in winter (January–February) contains sufficient buoyancy to restratify the convecting region to observed levels 2.5 months later, as estimated from Argo floating platforms. These results highlight the importance of small-scale heterogeneities in the ocean that are typically poorly represented in climate models, potentially contributing to the difficulty climate models have in representing deep convection.
Circulation/ Dynamics, Deep convection, Fronts, Small scale processes, Subgrid-scale processes, Atm/Ocean Structure/ Phenomena, Oceanic mixed layer, Thermohaline circulation
220-228
Frajka-Williams, E.
da86044e-0f68-4cc9-8f60-7fdbc4dc19cb
Rhines, P.B.
adf21f61-5218-4bdc-a69c-91c90ad7c1cf
Eriksen, C.C.
710e855c-c96f-486b-b9db-f52bfb01364f
January 2014
Frajka-Williams, E.
da86044e-0f68-4cc9-8f60-7fdbc4dc19cb
Rhines, P.B.
adf21f61-5218-4bdc-a69c-91c90ad7c1cf
Eriksen, C.C.
710e855c-c96f-486b-b9db-f52bfb01364f
Frajka-Williams, E., Rhines, P.B. and Eriksen, C.C.
(2014)
Horizontal Stratification during Deep Convection in the Labrador Sea.
Journal of Physical Oceanography, 44 (1), .
(doi:10.1175/JPO-D-13-069.1).
Abstract
Deep convection—the process by which surface waters are mixed down to 1000 m or deeper—forms the primary downwelling of the meridional overturning circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. High-resolution hydrographic measurements from Seagliders indicate that during deep convection—though water is well mixed vertically—there is substantial horizontal variation in density over short distances (tens of kilometers). This horizontal density variability present in winter (January–February) contains sufficient buoyancy to restratify the convecting region to observed levels 2.5 months later, as estimated from Argo floating platforms. These results highlight the importance of small-scale heterogeneities in the ocean that are typically poorly represented in climate models, potentially contributing to the difficulty climate models have in representing deep convection.
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jpo-d-13-069%2E1.pdf
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Published date: January 2014
Keywords:
Circulation/ Dynamics, Deep convection, Fronts, Small scale processes, Subgrid-scale processes, Atm/Ocean Structure/ Phenomena, Oceanic mixed layer, Thermohaline circulation
Organisations:
Physical Oceanography
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 357409
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/357409
ISSN: 0022-3670
PURE UUID: 03be476f-76e8-4a8b-81d2-29418912b3af
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Date deposited: 25 Sep 2013 15:43
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:35
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Author:
E. Frajka-Williams
Author:
P.B. Rhines
Author:
C.C. Eriksen
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