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