Deep currents and the eastward salinity tongue in the equatorial Atlantic: Results from an eddy-resolving, primitive equation model
- Universitaet Kiel (Germany)
The authors study the time and spatial dependence of the velocity of deep water circulation in the equatorial Atlantic by using a high resolution model of the wind-driven and thermohaline circulation. The model is the [open quotes]community modeling effort[close quotes], developed for the World Ocean Circulation Experiment, which is here extended to look at deeper waters. In the Atlantic, the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) spreads cold, saline water south, the majority of which is carried in the deep western boundary current (DWBC), and this flow is compensated by northward motion of warmer surface waters. The actual flow velocities and patterns of this deep flow water are not well known, or well modelled at present. Salinity measurements indicate a major east west flow of deep water at the equator. The authors extend this ocean circulation model to deeper waters to try to address such flow questions, given surface wind forcing, and thermohaline circulation. The sparse experimental data indicates the presence of zonal currents at different depths, but such little data is available that it is difficult to assess the bearing this should have on model predictions.
- OSTI ID:
- 6291046
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Vol. 98:C4; ISSN 0148-0227
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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