Dense Outflows and Deep Convection in the Antarctic Zone of the Southern Ocean

Abstract

This project has sought to better define the dynamics of those processes, including mixing, tides, current-topography interactions and nonlinear equation of state phenomena that impact vertical transports of heat and mass in the Southern Ocean. These transports are crucial to the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), a primary global ocean water type, and are integral to the Southern Ocean branch of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC). Increased understanding of these features will improve their representation in large-scale models and enhance our ability to predict climate-related changes in the MOC.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2009
Accession Number
ADA531830

Entities

People

  • Robin D. Muench

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Bottom Waters
  • Climate Change
  • Convection
  • Deep Oceans
  • Diffusion
  • Equations
  • Heat Flux
  • Models
  • Oceans
  • Ross Sea
  • Scale Models
  • Seabed
  • Southern Ocean
  • Topography
  • Transport Ships
  • Underwater Acoustics
  • Water

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers