Energy and Mass Flux in the Gulf Stream,
Abstract
Estimates of the kinetic energy and momentum fluxes of the Gulf Stream are obtained from the meridional hydrographic sections taken during the Gulf Stream '60 surveys (Fuglister, 1963). The kinetic energy flux appears to be higher than the input of potential energy by wind stress requiring recycling of energy in the Worthington recirculation gyre. The momentum flux divergence is sufficiently large to account for a major fraction of the east-west pressure difference in the North Atlantic at Gulf Stream latitudes. The effects of ageostrophic fluxes cannot be ignored in Gulf Stream dynamics. In summary, the kinetic energy and momentum fluxes are sufficiently large that their effects cannot be ignored in describing the dynamical balances of the Gulf Stream.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADP001045
Entities
People
- Nicholas P. Eofonoff
Organizations
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution