Physical oceanography of the Azores front

Gould, W.J.

doi:10.1016/0079-6611(85)90010-2

Cited by 186 publications

(143 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…13b and 14b) there is high SSTA variability offshore of where the Gulf Stream separates from the coast (∼ 35-36 • N) and at about 50 • W, where the Gulf Stream splits into the North Atlantic Current and the Azores Current (Gould, 1985). Although the model SSTA variability is generally greater than the observations, the locations of the local maxima generally agree well with observations.…”

Section: Sst Anomaly Comparisonssupporting

confidence: 71%

“…9, 10b, and 11b). Also, the band of high variability includes a discontinuity at about 45 • W, 42 • N, where the Gulf Stream splits into the North Atlantic Current and the Azores Current (Gould, 1985). This discontinuity is evident in both the model and observations -but has a more pronounced north-eastward turn in the observations compared to the model.…”

Section: Sla Comparisonsmentioning

confidence: 78%

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Evaluation of a near-global eddy-resolving ocean model

et al. 2013

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Abstract. Analysis of the variability of the last 18 yr (1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012) of a 32 yr run of a new near-global, eddy-resolving ocean general circulation model coupled with biogeochemistry is presented. Comparisons between modelled and observed mean sea level (MSL), mixed layer depth (MLD), sea level anomaly (SLA), sea surface temperature (SST), and chlorophyll a indicate that the model variability is realistic. We find some systematic errors in the modelled MLD, with the model generally deeper than observations, which results in errors in the chlorophyll a, owing to the strong biophysical coupling. We evaluate several other metrics in the model, including the zonally averaged seasonal cycle of SST, meridional overturning, volume transports through key straits and passages, zonally averaged temperature and salinity, and El Niño-related SST indices. We find that the modelled seasonal cycle in SST is 0.5-1.5 • C weaker than observed; volume transports of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the East Australian Current, and Indonesian Throughflow are in good agreement with observational estimates; and the correlation between the modelled and observed NINO SST indices exceeds 0.91. Most aspects of the model circulation are realistic. We conclude that the model output is suitable for broader analysis to better understand upper ocean dynamics and ocean variability at mid-and low latitudes. The new model is intended to underpin a future version of Australia's operational short-range ocean forecasting system.

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Section: Sst Anomaly Comparisonssupporting

confidence: 71%

Section: Sla Comparisonsmentioning

confidence: 78%

Evaluation of a near-global eddy-resolving ocean model

et al. 2013

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“…The latter values compare well with the previous studies in the region. In situ observations suggest eddy radii between 40 and 100 km in the area of the AzC (Gould, 1985;Pollard and Pu, 1985;Pingree and Sinha, 1998;Alves and Verdiere, 1999;Alves et al, 2002;Pingree, 2002;Mourino et al, 2003) and between 10 and 60 km in the northern part of the study region (Arhan and Colin de Verdiere, 1985;Mercier and Colin de Verdiere, 1985;Shoosmith et al, 2005), as well as in the upwelling area near the Iberian Peninsula (Pingree and LeCann, 1992;Oliveira et al, 2004). Derived from the satellite altimetry, the characteristic eddy scales in the study region are estimated to be 40-80 km (Le Traon et al, 1990) and 60-100 km (Stammer, 1997;Jacobs et al, 2001;Chelton et al, 2011).…”

Section: Appendix Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature–salinity distribution in the northeastern Atlantic from ship and Argo vertical casts

et al. 2015

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Abstract. The present study defines new interpolation functions for hydrological data. These functions are applied to generate climatological maps of temperature-salinity distribution with a 25 m depth interval and a 30 km space interval (MEDTRANS data set). The data undergo rigorous initial data quality control, having passed several filtering procedures. The gridding is done on neutral density surfaces, which allows better representation of thermohaline fronts for the same gridding radius. The multi-pass Barnes optimum interpolation procedure with spatially variable size of the gridding window is used. The shape of the window accounts for the dominant along-isobath direction of water mass transport over steeply sloping topography. A local ratio of topographic to planetary β-effects is used to define the shape of the window as a function of the relative importance of the topographic influence. The N /f ratio is applied to account for the baroclinic compensation decay of the topographic influence on water mass transport with the distance from the bottom. The gridded fields are available at the website of the Centre of Oceanography of the University of Lisbon (http://co.fc.ul.pt/en/data).The MEDTRANS climatology gives more details of the distribution of water characteristics in the subtropical northeastern Atlantic than other alternative climatologies and is able to reproduce a number of dynamic features described in the literature: the acceleration in the meanders of the Azores current; the cyclonic gyre in the Gulf of Cadiz; and the splitting and separation of the Mediterranean Water (MW) outflow in two veins near the Gorringe and Galicia banks. Seasonal climatologies, computed for the warm (May-October) and cold (November-April) seasons, reveal stronger zonal extension of the upper ocean patterns during the warm season, as compared to the cold one.

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“…These Lagrangian observations can be used to interpret the sea surface structures observed by remote sensing. Earlier, Gould (1985) also tracked a single cyclonic eddy in the region for $ 200 d using three drogued buoys. In Pingree & Sinha (1998), referred to subsequently as PS, it was shown using in situ direct measurements that Storms and associated anticyclones could exist as a regular train of eddies ($3 to 4 Storms when regularly formed) near 338N, on the south side of the Subtropical Front.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Position and structure of the Subtropical/Azores Front region from combined Lagrangian and remote sensing (IR/altimeter/SeaWiFS) measurements

1999

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The position and structure of the North Atlantic Subtropical Front is studied using Lagrangian flow tracks and remote sensing (AVHRR imagery: TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetry: SeaWiFS) in a broad region (∼31° to ∼36°N) of marked gradient of dynamic height (Azores Current) that extends from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), near ∼40°W, to the Eastern Boundary (∼10°W). Drogued Argos buoy and ALACE tracks are superposed on infrared satellite images in the Subtropical Front region. Cold (cyclonic) structures, called ‘Storms’, and warm (anticyclonic) structures of 100–300 km in size can be found on the south side of the Subtropical Front outcrop, which has a temperature contrast of about 1°C that can be followed for ∼2500 km near 35°N. Warmer water adjacent to the outcrop is flowing eastward (Azores Current) but some warm water is returned westward about 300 km to the south (southern Counterflow). Estimates of horizontal diffusion in a Storm (D=2.2×102 m2 s−1) and in the Subtropical Front region near 200 m depth (Dx=1.3×104 m2 s−1, Dy=2.6×103 m2 s−1) are made from the Lagrangian tracks. Altimeter and in situ measurements show that Storms track westwards. Storms are separated by about 510 km and move westward at 2.7 km d−1. Remote sensing reveals that some initial structures start evolving as far east as 23°W but are more organized near 29°W and therefore Storms are about 1 year old when they reach the MAR (having travelled a distance of 1000 km). Structure and seasonality in SeaWiFS data in the region is examined.

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Physical oceanography of the Azores front

Cited by 186 publications

References 11 publications

Evaluation of a near-global eddy-resolving ocean model

Evaluation of a near-global eddy-resolving ocean model

Temperature–salinity distribution in the northeastern Atlantic from ship and Argo vertical casts

Position and structure of the Subtropical/Azores Front region from combined Lagrangian and remote sensing (IR/altimeter/SeaWiFS) measurements

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