Local Sensitivities of the Gulf Stream Separationa
- Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Robust and accurate Gulf Stream separation remains an unsolved problem in general circulation modeling whose resolution will positively impact the ocean and climate modeling communities. Oceanographic literature does not face a shortage of plausible hypotheses that attempt to explain the dynamics of the Gulf Stream separation, yet a single theory that the community agrees on is missing. We investigate the impact of the Deep Western Boundary Current, coastline curvature, and continental shelf steepening on the Gulf Stream separation within regional configurations of the MIT General Circulation Model. Artificial modifications to the regional bathymetry are introduced to investigate the sensitivity of the separation to each of these factors. Metrics for subsurface separation detection confirm the direct link between flow separation and the surface expression of the Gulf Stream in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. Conversely, the Gulf Stream separation exhibits minimal sensitivity to the presence of the DWBC and coastline curvature. The implications of these results to the development of a “separation recipe” for ocean modeling are discussed. Furthermore, we conclude adequate topographic resolution is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for proper Gulf Stream separation.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- OSTI ID:
- 1341775
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1337110
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-16-25889
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Physical Oceanography, Journal Name: Journal of Physical Oceanography Vol. 47 Journal Issue: 2; ISSN 0022-3670
- Publisher:
- American Meteorological SocietyCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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