Intra-seasonal variability of the DWBC in the western subpolar North Atlantic
Intra-seasonal variability of the DWBC in the western subpolar North Atlantic
The Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) along the western margin of the subpolar North Atlantic is an important component of the deep limb of the Meridional Overturning near its northern origins. A network of moored arrays from Denmark Strait to the tail of the Grand Banks has been installed for almost two decades to observe the boundary currents and transports of North Atlantic Deep Water as part of an internationally coordinated observatory for the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.
The dominant variability in all of the moored velocity time series is in the week-to-month period range. While the temporal characteristics of this variability change only gradually between Denmark Strait and Flemish Cap, a broad band of longer term variability is present farther along the path of the DWBC at the Grand Banks and in the interior basins (Labrador and Irminger Seas). The vigorous intra-seasonal variability may well mask possible interannual to decadal variability that is typically an order of magnitude smaller than the high-frequency fluctuations. Here, the intra-seasonal variability is quantified at key positions along the DWBC path using both, observations and high resolution model data. The results are used to evaluate the model circulation, and in turn the model is used to relate the discrete measurements to the overall pattern of the subpolar circulation. Topographic waves are found to be trapped by the steep topography all around the western basins, the Labrador and Irminger Seas. In the Labrador Sea, the high intra-seasonal variability of the boundary current regime is separated by a region of extremely low variability in narrow recirculation cells from the basin interior. There, the variability is also on intra-seasonal timescales, but at much longer periods around 50 days.
233-249
Fischer, J.
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Karstensen, J.
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Zantopp, R.
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Visbeck, M.
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Biastoch, A.
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Behrens, E.
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Böning, C.W.
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Quadfasel, D.
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Jochumsen, K.
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Valdimarsson, H.
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Jónsson, S.
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Bacon, S.
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Holliday, N.P.
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Dye, S.
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Rhein, M.
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Mertens, C.
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March 2015
Fischer, J.
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Karstensen, J.
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Zantopp, R.
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Visbeck, M.
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Biastoch, A.
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Behrens, E.
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Böning, C.W.
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Quadfasel, D.
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Jochumsen, K.
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Valdimarsson, H.
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Jónsson, S.
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Bacon, S.
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Holliday, N.P.
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Dye, S.
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Rhein, M.
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Mertens, C.
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Fischer, J., Karstensen, J., Zantopp, R., Visbeck, M., Biastoch, A., Behrens, E., Böning, C.W., Quadfasel, D., Jochumsen, K., Valdimarsson, H., Jónsson, S., Bacon, S., Holliday, N.P., Dye, S., Rhein, M. and Mertens, C.
(2015)
Intra-seasonal variability of the DWBC in the western subpolar North Atlantic.
Progress in Oceanography, 132, .
(doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2014.04.002).
Abstract
The Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) along the western margin of the subpolar North Atlantic is an important component of the deep limb of the Meridional Overturning near its northern origins. A network of moored arrays from Denmark Strait to the tail of the Grand Banks has been installed for almost two decades to observe the boundary currents and transports of North Atlantic Deep Water as part of an internationally coordinated observatory for the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.
The dominant variability in all of the moored velocity time series is in the week-to-month period range. While the temporal characteristics of this variability change only gradually between Denmark Strait and Flemish Cap, a broad band of longer term variability is present farther along the path of the DWBC at the Grand Banks and in the interior basins (Labrador and Irminger Seas). The vigorous intra-seasonal variability may well mask possible interannual to decadal variability that is typically an order of magnitude smaller than the high-frequency fluctuations. Here, the intra-seasonal variability is quantified at key positions along the DWBC path using both, observations and high resolution model data. The results are used to evaluate the model circulation, and in turn the model is used to relate the discrete measurements to the overall pattern of the subpolar circulation. Topographic waves are found to be trapped by the steep topography all around the western basins, the Labrador and Irminger Seas. In the Labrador Sea, the high intra-seasonal variability of the boundary current regime is separated by a region of extremely low variability in narrow recirculation cells from the basin interior. There, the variability is also on intra-seasonal timescales, but at much longer periods around 50 days.
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Accepted/In Press date: 13 April 2014
Published date: March 2015
Organisations:
Marine Physics and Ocean Climate
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 364340
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/364340
ISSN: 0079-6611
PURE UUID: 4f2feeae-1568-4495-93da-46f07ea7c9a6
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Date deposited: 22 Apr 2014 14:29
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 16:33
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Contributors
Author:
J. Fischer
Author:
J. Karstensen
Author:
R. Zantopp
Author:
M. Visbeck
Author:
A. Biastoch
Author:
E. Behrens
Author:
C.W. Böning
Author:
D. Quadfasel
Author:
K. Jochumsen
Author:
H. Valdimarsson
Author:
S. Jónsson
Author:
S. Bacon
Author:
N.P. Holliday
Author:
S. Dye
Author:
M. Rhein
Author:
C. Mertens
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