The effect of salinity on density in the Leeuwin Current System

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dc.contributor.advisorBatteen, Mary L.
dc.contributor.authorHuang, Ming-Jer
dc.contributor.corporateNaval Postgraduate School
dc.contributor.departmentPhysical Oceanography
dc.contributor.schoolNaval Postgraduate School
dc.contributor.secondreaderBourke, Robert H.
dc.date.accessioned2013-01-23T22:00:04Z
dc.date.available2013-01-23T22:00:04Z
dc.date.issued1996-06
dc.description.abstractClimatological temperature and salinity fields are used to calculate the salinity contribution to density and dynamic height fields in the Leeuwin Current System (LCS). While the temperature gradient is primarily linear, with warmest water to the north, the salinity fields are spatially inhomogenous. A comparison of density fields, calculated with constant and variable salinity, shows that, off Western Australia, the density field is primarily determined by temperature. Off Southern Australia, the density field is dependent on warm and salty (subtropical) and fresh and cold (sub-Antarctic) water masses. While the dynamic height fields, calculated with constant and variable salinity, show similar flow patterns off Western Australia, different flow patterns are found off Southern Australia. In addition to the analysis of climatological fields, a primitive equation ocean model is used to investigate the role of salinity in the formation of currents and eddies in the LCS. Two identical ocean models, one with a climatological salinity field and the other with no horizontal salinity gradients, are run and compared with each other. Despite the model runs being initialized with similar temperature distributions, there are relatively large temperature and density differences in the Southern Australian region, due to the advection of water masses by the Leeuwin Current. Based on the climatological analyses and the results of the model experiments, it is concluded that, descriptively and dynamically, both temperature and salinity are essential to accurately characterize the large-scale circulation of the LCSen_US
dc.description.distributionstatementApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
dc.description.serviceRepublic of China Navy author.en_US
dc.description.serviceLieutenant Commander, Republic of China Navyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThis thesis was prepared in conjunction with research sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230.en_US
dc.description.urihttp://archive.org/details/theeffectofsalin1094526513
dc.format.extent60 p.: ill.en_US
dc.identifier.npsreportNPS-OC-96-001
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10945/26513
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherMonterey, California. Naval Postgraduate Schoolen_US
dc.subject.authorPrimitive equation modelen_US
dc.subject.authorLeeuwin Current Systemen_US
dc.subject.authorsalinityen_US
dc.subject.authordensityen_US
dc.subject.authordynamic heighten_US
dc.subject.authoreddiesen_US
dc.subject.authorcurrentsen_US
dc.subject.lcshOcean currents, Indian Oceanen_US
dc.titleThe effect of salinity on density in the Leeuwin Current Systemen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dspace.entity.typePublication
etd.thesisdegree.disciplinePhysical Oceanographyen_US
etd.thesisdegree.grantorNaval Postgraduate Schoolen_US
etd.thesisdegree.levelMastersen_US
etd.thesisdegree.nameM.S. in Physical Oceanographyen_US
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