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Eddy Subduction and the Vertical Transport Streamfunction

Eddy Subduction and the Vertical Transport Streamfunction
Eddy Subduction and the Vertical Transport Streamfunction
Subduction—the transport of fluid across the base of mixed layer—exchanges water masses and tracers between the ocean surface and interior. Eddies can affect subduction in a variety of ways. First, eddies shoal the mixed layer by restratifying water columns through baroclinic instabilities. Second, eddies induce an isopycnic transport that leads to the entrainment of warm waters and subduction of cold waters, which effectively counters the wind-driven overturning circulation. In this study, the authors use an idealized model to examine these two mechanisms by which eddies influence subduction and to discuss how eddy subduction may be better approximated using the concept of vertical transport streamfunction than the conventional meridional transport streamfunction.
Eddies, Ocean dynamics, Mixed layer, Ocean models
0022-3670
1762-1780
Lee, Mei-Man
59401716-3903-401c-96de-d758970eeb03
Nurser, A.J. George
2493ef9a-21e9-4d8b-9c32-08677e7e145a
Lee, Mei-Man
59401716-3903-401c-96de-d758970eeb03
Nurser, A.J. George
2493ef9a-21e9-4d8b-9c32-08677e7e145a

Lee, Mei-Man and Nurser, A.J. George (2012) Eddy Subduction and the Vertical Transport Streamfunction. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 42 (11), 1762-1780. (doi:10.1175/JPO-D-11-0219.1).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Subduction—the transport of fluid across the base of mixed layer—exchanges water masses and tracers between the ocean surface and interior. Eddies can affect subduction in a variety of ways. First, eddies shoal the mixed layer by restratifying water columns through baroclinic instabilities. Second, eddies induce an isopycnic transport that leads to the entrainment of warm waters and subduction of cold waters, which effectively counters the wind-driven overturning circulation. In this study, the authors use an idealized model to examine these two mechanisms by which eddies influence subduction and to discuss how eddy subduction may be better approximated using the concept of vertical transport streamfunction than the conventional meridional transport streamfunction.

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More information

Published date: 2012
Keywords: Eddies, Ocean dynamics, Mixed layer, Ocean models
Organisations: Marine Systems Modelling

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 346373
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/346373
ISSN: 0022-3670
PURE UUID: ae42e936-b7da-403c-a32e-c0b458316b84

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Date deposited: 18 Dec 2012 14:26
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 12:36

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Contributors

Author: Mei-Man Lee
Author: A.J. George Nurser

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