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Genesis and decay of mesoscale baroclinic eddies in the seasonally ice-covered interior Arctic Ocean
Citation
Meneghello, G and Marshall, J and Lique, C and Isachsen, PE and Doddridge, E and Campin, J-M and Regan, H and Talandier, C, Genesis and decay of mesoscale baroclinic eddies in the seasonally ice-covered interior Arctic Ocean, Journal of Physical Oceanography, 51, (1) pp. 115-129. ISSN 0022-3670 (2021) [Refereed Article]
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DOI: doi:10.1175/JPO-D-20-0054.1
Abstract
Observations of ocean currents in the Arctic interior show a curious, and hitherto unexplained, vertical and temporal distribution of mesoscale activity. A marked seasonal cycle is found close to the surface: strong eddy activity during summer, observed from both satellites and moorings, is followed by very quiet winters. In contrast, subsurface eddies persist all year long within the deeper halocline and below. Informed by baroclinic instability analysis, we explore the origin and evolution of mesoscale eddies in the seasonally ice-covered interior Arctic Ocean. We find that the surface seasonal cycle is controlled by friction with sea ice, dissipating existing eddies and preventing the growth of new ones. In contrast, subsurface eddies, enabled by interior potential vorticity gradients and shielded by a strong stratification at a depth of approximately 50 m, can grow independently of the presence of sea ice. A high-resolution pan-Arctic ocean model confirms that the interior Arctic basin is baroclinically unstable all year long at depth. We address possible implications for the transport of water masses between the margins and the interior of the Arctic basin, and for climate models’ ability to capture the fundamental difference in mesoscale activity between ice-covered and ice-free regions.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | sea ice, Arctic, ocean dynamics |
Research Division: | Earth Sciences |
Research Group: | Oceanography |
Research Field: | Physical oceanography |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Marine systems and management |
Objective Field: | Oceanic processes (excl. in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean) |
UTAS Author: | Doddridge, E (Dr Edward Doddridge) |
ID Code: | 142581 |
Year Published: | 2021 |
Deposited By: | Oceans and Cryosphere |
Deposited On: | 2021-01-28 |
Last Modified: | 2021-01-28 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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