Volume and Heat Transports of the Florida Current: April 1982 Through August 1983

Molinari, Robert L.; Wilson, W. Douglas; Leaman, Kevin D.

doi:10.1126/science.227.4684.295

Cited by 53 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The Florida Current transport cycle derived from the 3.5-yr record has an annual range of 2.9 Sv, which is typical of the annual variation derived from previous studies (Schott et al 1988;Molinari et al 1985) and from the 26-yr-long available cable record (Meinen et al 2010;Atkinson et al 2010). The characteristic summer transport maximum and fall transport minimum have been linked to local and regional wind stress forcing in the western North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea (Schott et al 1988) and are decoupled from wind stress curl (Sverdrup) forcing across the ocean interior (Anderson and Corry 1985;Hogg and Johns 1995).…”

Section: The Seasonal Cycle Of the Mhtmentioning

confidence: 70%

Continuous, Array-Based Estimates of Atlantic Ocean Heat Transport at 26.5°N

et al. 2011

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Continuous estimates of the oceanic meridional heat transport in the Atlantic are derived from the Rapid Climate Change-Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) and Heatflux Array (RAPID-MOCHA) observing system deployed along 26.58N, for the period from April 2004 to October 2007. The basinwide meridional heat transport (MHT) is derived by combining temperature transports (relative to a common reference) from 1) the Gulf Stream in the Straits of Florida; 2) the western boundary region offshore of Abaco, Bahamas; 3) the Ekman layer [derived from Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) wind stresses]; and 4) the interior ocean monitored by ''endpoint'' dynamic height moorings. The interior eddy heat transport arising from spatial covariance of the velocity and temperature fields is estimated independently from repeat hydrographic and expendable bathythermograph (XBT) sections and can also be approximated by the array.The results for the 3.5 yr of data thus far available show a mean MHT of 1.33 6 0.40 PW for 10-dayaveraged estimates, on which time scale a basinwide mass balance can be reasonably assumed. The associated MOC strength and variability is 18.5 6 4.9 Sv (1 Sv [ 10 6 m 3 s 21). The continuous heat transport estimates range from a minimum of 0.2 to a maximum of 2.5 PW, with approximately half of the variance caused by Ekman transport changes and half caused by changes in the geostrophic circulation. The data suggest a seasonal cycle of the MHT with a maximum in summer (July-September) and minimum in late winter (MarchApril), with an annual range of 0.6 PW. A breakdown of the MHT into ''overturning'' and ''gyre'' components shows that the overturning component carries 88% of the total heat transport. The overall uncertainty of the annual mean MHT for the 3.5-yr record is 0.14 PW or about 10% of the mean value.

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Section: The Seasonal Cycle Of the Mhtmentioning

confidence: 70%

Continuous, Array-Based Estimates of Atlantic Ocean Heat Transport at 26.5°N

et al. 2011

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“…0.06 PW is an estimate of the error induced by assuming a constant FWT). As noted by Larsen and Sanford [1985] and Molinari et al [1985b], comparisons of Pegasus and cable estimates of transport suggest that the actual Florida Current volume transport uncertainty is probably of order 1 Sv. Assuming a ±1 Sv error in the transport estimated from the Pegasus sections, (3) leads to an associated error in the temperature transport of 0.08 PW.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A continuous record of Florida Current temperature transport at 27°N

Shoosmith

Baringer

Johns

2005

Geophysical Research Letters

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[1] As part of a newly funded international program to monitor ocean heat transport at mid-latitudes in the North Atlantic, a continuous estimate of the temperature transport of the Florida Current is required. Since 1982, volume transports have been inferred from voltage measurements monitored by submarine telephone cables across the Straits of Florida. Electromagnetic induction theory suggests that the cable voltage should actually give a more direct measure of conductivity transport than pure volume transport. Due to the strong dependence of conductivity on temperature, this would in theory result in a direct and continuous estimate of the Florida Current temperature transport. This hypothesis is investigated using data from a large number of temperature and velocity sections (58) across the Florida Current at the cable location, leading to a new calibration of the voltage signal for the temperature transport of the Florida Current, crucial for trans-basin heat flux estimates.

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“…The Florida Current is one of the most studied oceanic flows in the world, with targeted studies as early as the 1880s (Pillsbury 1891) and ''routine'' study of its transport beginning in the 1950s and continuing through today (e.g., Stommel 1957;Richardson and Schmitz 1965;Niiler and Richardson 1973;Molinari et al 1985a;Leaman et al 1995;Baringer and Larsen 2001;Rousset and Beal 2011). Each study over the years has utilized different instruments and methods for calculating the Florida Current transport.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accuracy of Florida Current Volume Transport Measurements at 27°N Using Multiple Observational Techniques

García

Meinen

2014

Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology

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For more than 30 years, the volume transport of the Florida Current at 278N has been regularly estimated both via voltage measurements on a submarine cable and using ship-based measurements of horizontal velocity at nine historical stations across the Florida Straits. A comparison of three different observational systems is presented, including a detailed evaluation of observational accuracy and precision. The three systems examined are dropsonde (free-falling float), lowered acoustic Doppler current profiler (LADCP), and submarine cable. The accuracy of the Florida Current transport calculation from dropsonde sections, which can be determined from first principles with existing data, is shown to be 0.8 Sv (1 Sv [ 10 6 m 3 s 21 ). Side-by-side comparisons between dropsonde and LADCP measurements are used to show that the LADCP-based transport estimates are accurate to within 1.3 Sv. Dropsonde data are often used to set the absolute mean cable transport estimate, so some care is required in establishing the absolute accuracy of the cable measurements. Used together, the dropsonde and LADCP sections can be used to evaluate the absolute accuracy and precision of the cable measurements. These comparisons suggest the daily cable observations are accurate to within 1.7 Sv, and analysis of the decorrelation time scales for the errors suggests that annual transport averages from the cable are accurate to within 0.3 Sv. The implications of these accuracy estimates for long-term observation of the Florida Current are discussed in the context of maintaining this key climate record.

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Volume and Heat Transports of the Florida Current: April 1982 Through August 1983

Cited by 53 publications

References 10 publications

Continuous, Array-Based Estimates of Atlantic Ocean Heat Transport at 26.5°N

Continuous, Array-Based Estimates of Atlantic Ocean Heat Transport at 26.5°N

A continuous record of Florida Current temperature transport at 27°N

Accuracy of Florida Current Volume Transport Measurements at 27°N Using Multiple Observational Techniques

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