Detection of thermohaline structure and meridional overturning circulation above and below the ocean surface

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Authors
Chu, Peter C.
Sun, Charles
Fan, Chenwu
Subjects
Advisors
Date of Issue
2009
Date
2009
Publisher
Language
Abstract
Ocean temperature, salinity, and currents available at the present time do not have sufficient resolution to describe the variability in Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC). We use our unique data access, our strong experience in analysis of sparse and noisy ocean data, and our data system already in place at NOAA/NODC and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), to produce and distribute three dimensional temperature, salinity, and velocity fields using the Global Temperature-Salinity Profile Program (GTSPP) and Argo profile and track data together with the Navy’s Master Observational Oceanographic Data Set (MOODS), at spatial resolution equal and higher than the standard product (1o ×1o ). The temporal and spatial resolution was improved by merging with data from the Ocean Surface Current Analyses – Real Time (OSCAR) derived from satellite altimeter and scatterometer. Close partnership between NPS and NOAA/NODC shows the impact of the temporally varying temperature, salinity, and velocity data on operational monitoring of MOC, thermohaline structure, and associated rapid climatic change. More flexible and user-driven data processing and distributing system will be implemented, to optimize data use by both the scientific and operational communities. With the reanalyzed three dimensional ocean fields for two decades (1990-2008), we indentified temporal and spatial variability of MOC and thermohaline structure.
Type
Conference Proceedings
Description
Twenty First Conference on Climate Variability and Change, American Meteorological Society
Series/Report No
Department
Department of Oceanography
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Chu, P.C., C. Sun, and C.-W. Fan, 2009: Detection of thermohaline structure and meridional overturning circulation above and below the ocean surface. Twenty First Conference on Climate Variability and Change, American Meteorological Society
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
Collections