The thermodynamic balance of the Weddell Gyre
Naveira Garabato, Alberto C.; Zika, Jan D.; Jullion, Loïc; Brown, Peter J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1152-1114; Holland, Paul R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8370-289X; Meredith, Michael P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7342-7756; Bacon, Sheldon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2471-9373. 2016 The thermodynamic balance of the Weddell Gyre. Geophysical Research Letters, 43 (1). 317-325. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL066658
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AGU Publisher statement: An edited version of this paper was published by AGU. © (2016) American Geophysical Union. Further reproduction or electronic distribution is not permitted doi:10.1002/2015GL066658 grl53879.pdf - Published Version Download (3MB) | Preview |
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Accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters. © 2015 American Geophysical Union. Further reproduction or electronic distribution is not permitted. grl53879.pdf - Accepted Version Download (745kB) | Preview |
Abstract/Summary
The thermodynamic balance of the Weddell Gyre is assessed from an inverse estimate of the circulation across the gyre's rim. The gyre experiences a weak net buoyancy gain that arises from a leading-order cancellation between two opposing contributions, linked to two cells of water mass transformation and diapycnal overturning. The lower cell involves a cooling-driven densification of 8.4 ± 2.0 Sv of Circumpolar Deep Water and Antarctic Bottom Water near the gyre's southern and western margins. The upper cell entails a freshening-driven conversion of 4.9 ± 2.0 Sv of Circumpolar Deep Water into lighter upper-ocean waters within the gyre interior. The distinct role of salinity between the two cells stems from opposing salinity changes induced by sea ice production, meteoric sources and admixture of fresh upper-ocean waters in the lower cell, which contrasts with coherent reductions in salinity associated with sea ice melting and meteoric sources in the upper cell.
Item Type: | Publication - Article |
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Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL066658 |
Programmes: | BAS Programmes > BAS Programmes 2015 > Polar Oceans |
ISSN: | 00948276 |
Additional Keywords: | Weddell Gyre; thermodynamics |
Date made live: | 05 Jan 2016 16:42 +0 (UTC) |
URI: | https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512577 |
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