Mesoscale Eddies in the Brazilian Continental Margin

南大西洋的独特之处在于它向赤道而不是向极地输送热量，最近的研究表明，南大西洋经向翻转环流（MOC）经历了强烈的短期变率，可能是由于中尺度涡旋。然而，巴西-马尔维纳斯合流上游的巴西大陆边缘缺乏对中尺度涡旋的深入表征。该项目将利用协同观测方法详细描述该地区涡旋的结构和变异性。该项目将通过提供观测基准，为碳封存和再分配的建模工作提供信息，这需要中尺度涡旋的准确表示。它将支持早期职业PI，并扩大康涅狄格大学（UConn）的物理海洋学课程。一名博士生将接受培训，PI和研究生将在康涅狄格大学预科暑期项目中与高中生分享海洋涡流的科学。该项目旨在描述涡旋的天气性水平和垂直结构，建立涡旋复合材料，并估计其异常热量和盐/淡水含量，适用于巴西大陆边缘约20至35度s之间的区域，数据来自高测产品（沿轨迹和绘制的绝对动态地形和海平面异常以及涡旋跟踪轨迹）、Argo浮标（剖面和轨迹）和高分辨率XBT/CTD样带。这些方法将用于区分巴西海流区域的本地和远程涡旋，验证远程涡旋对巴西海流区域中尺度变化有重大贡献的假设，并对巴西大陆边缘的中尺度变化进行详细研究。具体而言，该项目将(a)描述涡旋特征及其季节和年际变化的统计特征，(b)详细研究具有代表性的单个涡旋，(c)建立二维和三维涡旋复合材料，以及(d)量化涡旋的异常热量和盐/淡水含量。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The South Atlantic is unique in that it transports heat equatorward instead of poleward, and recent studies suggest that the South Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) undergoes strong short-term variability, likely due to mesoscale eddies. Nevertheless, the Brazilian continental margin, upstream of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence, lacks an in-depth characterization of mesoscale eddies. This project will develop a detailed characterization of the structure and variability of eddies in this region using a synergistic observational approach. The project will inform efforts to model carbon sequestration and redistribution, which requires an accurate representation of mesoscale eddies, by providing an observational benchmark. It will support an early career PI and broaden the physical oceanography curriculum at the University of Connecticut (UConn). A doctoral student will be trained, and the PI and graduate student will share the science of ocean eddies with high schoolers in the UConn Pre-College Summer Program.The project aims to characterize the synoptic horizontal and vertical structure of eddies, build eddy composites and estimate their anomalous heat and salt/freshwater contents, for the Brazilian continental margin region between about 20 to 35 degrees S. Data from altimetric products (along-track and mapped absolute dynamic topography and sea-level anomalies as well as eddy-tracking trajectories), Argo floats (profiles and trajectories), and high-resolution XBT/CTD transects will be used. These approaches will be utilized to differentiate between local and remote eddies in the Brazil Current region, test the hypothesis that remote eddies contribute significantly to the mesoscale variability in the Brazil Current region, and produce a detailed look into the mesoscale variability of the Brazilian continental margin. Specifically, the project will (a) characterize the statistics of eddy characteristics and their seasonal and interannual variability, (b) study in detail representative individual eddies, (c) build two-dimensional and three-dimensional eddy composites and (d) quantify the anomalous heat and salt/freshwater content of eddies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.