Measuring Westward Recirculation in the Subpolar Gyre of the Southeastern Indian Ocean

测量东南印度洋副极地环流的西向再环流

• 批准号: 0727045
• 负责人: Michael McCartney
• 金额: $ 204.77万
• 依托单位: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-08-15 至 2013-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0727045&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Measuring; Westward; Recirculation; Subpolar; Gyre

The traditional image of Southern Ocean circulation between Australia and Antarctica illustrates the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), a dominant belt of eastward transport with a comparatively weak adjacent westward flow. The relatively weak westward flow is part of an anticyclonic, or counterclockwise, circulation north of the ACC and a cyclonic, or clockwise, circulation south of the ACC. Recent imaging developed from the World Ocean Circulation Hydrographic Program suggests that a strong cyclonic gyre exists, representing a newly discovered general circulation feature in a remote and unexplored region of the Southern Ocean. Oceanographers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute will install a 6-mooring array of current meters and a subsurface profiling float across the Antarctic continental slope to map the circulation of this newly discovered cyclonic gyre. In addition, scientists will use moored profilers to monitor the flow of the dense plume of water associated with the ACC that sinks along the continental slope and joins the descending limb of the Meridional Overturning Circulation. Findings from this study will resolve uncertainties about the nature of the general circulation in the Southern Ocean and enhance our understanding of the global meridional overturning system. This project will also impact climate change research by allowing scientists to combine the proposed measurements with high-resolution numerical modeling to improve the performance of coupled climate models. Funding from this proposal will support the development of an early-career scientist, as well as potential research and training for a UK-based PhD student.

澳大利亚和南极洲之间的南大洋环流的传统图像说明了南极绕极流（ACC），这是一个东向输送的主导带，邻近的向西流相对较弱。相对较弱的向西流动是一个反气旋，或逆时针方向，北的ACC和气旋，或顺时针方向，南ACC.Recent成像发达国家从世界海洋环流水文计划的环流的一部分表明，一个强大的气旋环流存在，代表一个新发现的一般环流功能在一个偏远和未开发的地区的南大洋。来自伍兹霍尔海洋研究所的海洋学家将在南极大陆斜坡上安装一个6系泊海流计阵列和一个地下剖面浮标，以绘制这个新发现的气旋环流的环流图。此外，科学家将使用系泊剖面仪监测与ACC有关的密集水柱的流动，ACC沿大陆坡沿着下沉，并加入经向翻转环流的下降分支。这项研究的结果将解决南大洋大气环流性质的不确定性，并增进我们对全球纬向翻转系统的理解。该项目还将影响气候变化研究，使科学家能够将拟议的测量与高分辨率数值模拟相结合，以提高耦合气候模型的性能。该提案的资金将支持早期职业科学家的发展，以及英国博士生的潜在研究和培训。