Water properties and circulation in Arctic Ocean models
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Authors
Holloway, G.
Dupont, F.
Golubeva, E.
Ha¨kkinen, S.
Hunke, E.
Jin, M.
Karcher, M.
Kauker, F.
Maltrud, M.
Maqueda, M. A. Morales
Subjects
Advisors
Date of Issue
2007-03
Date
March 2007
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
Language
Abstract
As a part of the Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison Project, results from 10 Arctic ocean/ice models are intercompared over the period 1970 through 1999. Models' monthly mean outputs are laterally integrated over two subdomains (Amerasian and Eurasian basins), then examined as functions of depth and time. Differences in such fields as averaged temperature and salinity arise from models' differences in parameterizations and numerical methods and from different domain sizes, with anomalies that develop at lower latitudes carried into the Arctic. A systematic deficiency is seen as AOMIP models tend to produce thermally stratified upper layers rather than the “cold halocline”, suggesting missing physics perhaps related to vertical mixing or to shelf‐basin exchanges. Flow fields pose a challenge for intercomparison. We introduce topostrophy, the vertical component of V×∇D where V is monthly mean velocity and ∇D is the gradient of total depth, characterizing the tendency to follow topographic slopes. Positive topostrophy expresses a tendency for cyclonic “rim currents”. Systematic differences of models' circulations are found to depend strongly upon assumed roles of unresolved eddies.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2006JC003642
Series/Report No
Department
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs
International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks
U.S. Department of Energy, Climate Change Prediction Program
Center for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
NSF/ARCSS, by the NASA Global Modeling and Analysis, Radiation Sciences, Cryospheric Sciences Programs
Russian Foundation for Basic Research
International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks
U.S. Department of Energy, Climate Change Prediction Program
Center for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
NSF/ARCSS, by the NASA Global Modeling and Analysis, Radiation Sciences, Cryospheric Sciences Programs
Russian Foundation for Basic Research
Funder
OPP-0002239
OPP-0327664
OPP-0327664
Format
18 p.
Citation
Holloway, G., et al. "Water properties and circulation in Arctic Ocean models." Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 112.C4 (2007).