Understanding the structure of the subtropical thermocline
Closing a gyre with a western boundary current imposes a constraint on its vertical structure that requires there to be no net vertical flux of potential vorticity through any closed pressure contour in steady state. This constraint resembles the traditional similarity balance for the internal therm...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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2003
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| _version_ | 1797093144719785984 |
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| author | Polton, J Marshall, D |
| author_facet | Polton, J Marshall, D |
| author_sort | Polton, J |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Closing a gyre with a western boundary current imposes a constraint on its vertical structure that requires there to be no net vertical flux of potential vorticity through any closed pressure contour in steady state. This constraint resembles the traditional similarity balance for the internal thermocline, with additional terms representing friction in the western boundary current and convection in the mixed layer. The terms in the integral constraint are diagnosed in a planetary geostrophic ocean model and are used to understand the coexistence of ventilated and internal thermoclines within the subtropical gyre. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:56:07Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:c2eb4c5e-13fd-40a4-83b1-beb19927702d |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:56:07Z |
| publishDate | 2003 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:c2eb4c5e-13fd-40a4-83b1-beb19927702d2022-03-27T06:12:37ZUnderstanding the structure of the subtropical thermoclineJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:c2eb4c5e-13fd-40a4-83b1-beb19927702dEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2003Polton, JMarshall, DClosing a gyre with a western boundary current imposes a constraint on its vertical structure that requires there to be no net vertical flux of potential vorticity through any closed pressure contour in steady state. This constraint resembles the traditional similarity balance for the internal thermocline, with additional terms representing friction in the western boundary current and convection in the mixed layer. The terms in the integral constraint are diagnosed in a planetary geostrophic ocean model and are used to understand the coexistence of ventilated and internal thermoclines within the subtropical gyre. |
| spellingShingle | Polton, J Marshall, D Understanding the structure of the subtropical thermocline |
| title | Understanding the structure of the subtropical thermocline |
| title_full | Understanding the structure of the subtropical thermocline |
| title_fullStr | Understanding the structure of the subtropical thermocline |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding the structure of the subtropical thermocline |
| title_short | Understanding the structure of the subtropical thermocline |
| title_sort | understanding the structure of the subtropical thermocline |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT poltonj understandingthestructureofthesubtropicalthermocline AT marshalld understandingthestructureofthesubtropicalthermocline |