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Eddy saturation of equilibrated circumpolar currents

Abstract:
This study uses a sector configuration of an ocean general circulation model to examine the sensitivity of circumpolar transport and meridional overturning to changes in Southern Ocean wind stress and global diapycnal mixing. At eddy-permitting, and finer, resolution, the sensitivity of circumpolar transport to forcing magnitude is drastically reduced. At sufficiently high resolution, there is little or no sensitivity of circumpolar transport to wind stress, even in the limit of no wind. In contrast, the meridional overturning circulation continues to vary with Southern Ocean wind stress, but with reduced sensitivity in the limit of high wind stress. Both the circumpolar transport and meridional overturning continue to vary with diapycnal diffusivity at all model resolutions. The circumpolar transport becomes less sensitive to changes in diapycnal diffusivity at higher resolution, although sensitivity always remains. In contrast, the overturning circulation is more sensitive to change in diapycnal diffusivity when the resolution is high enough to permit mesoscale eddies.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1175/JPO-D-12-095.1

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Atmos Ocean & Planet Physics
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Earth Sciences
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Atmos Ocean & Planet Physics
Role:
Author


Publisher:
American Meteorological Society
Journal:
Journal of Physical Oceanography More from this journal
Volume:
43
Issue:
3
Pages:
507-532
Publication date:
2013-01-01
DOI:
EISSN:
1520-0485
ISSN:
0022-3670


Pubs id:
pubs:384013
UUID:
uuid:9c9d05d6-be2f-4c3a-85fb-ff0c9aef8592
Local pid:
pubs:384013
Source identifiers:
384013
Deposit date:
2013-11-16

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