Near-surface eddy dynamics in the Southern Ocean

Polar research

Pierpaolo Falco¹  Enrico Zambianchi²  Marilisa Trani³ 

[1] Doctoral School in Polar Sciences, University of Siena Via del Laterino 8IT-53100 Siena Italy Correspondence;Department of Environmental Science, Parthenope University of Naples, Centro DirezionaleIsola C4, IT-80143 Naples Italy;Department of Environmental Science, Parthenope University of Naples, Centro DirezionaleIsola C4, IT-80143 Naples Italy

关键词: Antarctic Circumpolar Current;    eddy fluxes;    Global Drifter Program data;    Lagrangian oceanography;    Helmholtz decomposition;   

DOI  :  10.3402/polar.v30i0.11203

学科分类：自然科学（综合）

来源: Co-Action Publishing

【 摘 要 】

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is a crucial component of the global ocean conveyor belt, acting as a zonal link among the major ocean basins but, to some extent, limiting meridional exchange and tending to isolate the ocean south of it from momentum and heat income. In this work we investigate one of the most important mechanisms contributing to the poleward transfer of properties in the Southern Ocean, that is the eddy component of the dynamics. For this particular purpose, observations obtained from near-surface drifters have been used: they represent a very useful data set to analyse the eddy field because of their ability to catch a large number of scales of motion while providing a quasi-synoptic coverage of the investigated area. Estimates of the eddy heat and momentum fluxes are carried out using data taken from the Global Drifter Program databank; they refer to Surface Velocity Program drifter trajectories collected in the area south of 35°S between 1995 and 2006. Eddy kinetic energies, v...

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC