Phased response of the subpolar Southern Ocean to changes in circumpolar winds

Naveira Garabato, A.C.; Dotto, T.S.; Hooley, J.; Bacon, Sheldon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2471-9373; Tsamados, M.; Ridout, A.; Frajka-Williams, Eleanor ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8773-7838; Herraiz‐Borreguero, L.; Holland, Paul R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8370-289X; Heorton, H.D.B.S.; Meredith, Michael P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7342-7756. 2019 Phased response of the subpolar Southern Ocean to changes in circumpolar winds. Geophysical Research Letters, 46 (11). 6024-6033. 10.1029/2019GL082850

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2019GL082850

Abstract/Summary

The response of the subpolar Southern Ocean (sSO) to wind forcing is assessed using satellite radar altimetry. sSO sea level exhibits a phased, zonally coherent, bi‐modal adjustment to circumpolar wind changes, involving comparable seasonal and interannual variations. The adjustment is effected via a quasi‐instantaneous exchange of mass between the Antarctic continental shelf and the sSO to the north, and a 2‐month‐delayed transfer of mass between the wider Southern Ocean and the subtropics. Both adjustment modes are consistent with an Ekman‐mediated response to variations in surface stress. Only the fast mode projects significantly onto the surface geostrophic flow of the sSO, thus the regional circulation varies in phase with the leading edge of sSO sea level variability. The surface forcing of changes in the sSO system is partly associated with variations of surface winds linked to the Southern Annular Mode, and is modulated by sea ice cover near Antarctica.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1029/2019GL082850
ISSN:	0094-8276
Date made live:	28 May 2019 09:40 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/523502

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1029/2019GL082850

ISSN:

0094-8276

Date made live:

28 May 2019 09:40 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/523502