Shelf/Open-Ocean Interactions in the South African Region

南非地区的陆架/公海相互作用

• 批准号: 2149292
• 负责人: Ricardo Matano
• 金额: $ 62.39万
• 依托单位: Oregon State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-04-01 至 2025-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2149292&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Shelf; Open; Ocean; Interactions; South

This study uses process modeling to investigate the impact of the Agulhas Current on the southern African shelves, the connectivity between the circulations in the Agulhas Bank and the southern Benguela upwelling region, and the sensitivity of these shelf regions to climate related changes of the wind forcing. The central hypothesis is that shelf and deep-ocean interactions are modulated by the transit of Agulhas eddies. The project will advance understanding of the impact of these interactions on the Agulhas Bank and extend it to the Benguela region. Understanding shelf and deep-ocean interactions in the southern African region will contribute to the forecast of the impact of climate change on the regional ecosystems and the potential feedbacks that those ecosystems will have on the changing climate.This project uses process-oriented modeling to characterize the shelf and open-ocean interactions between the Agulhas Current, Agulhas Bank (AB), and Southern Benguela Upwelling Region (SBUR) and to evaluate their sensitivity to climate variability and climate change. The investigators hypothesize that the AC controls the thermohaline structure of the AB and that it is the main driver of the circulation in the outer- and middle-shelf regions. Wind stress forcing controls the circulation in the inner shelf as well as the exchanges between the AB and the SBUR. The project will investigate eddy-driven interactions between the AC and the African continent and their effect on mixing and water mass transformations along the AC path. It is anticipated that climate change will increase the impact of shelf/open ocean interactions on both oceanic realms.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.

本研究采用过程建模，调查南部非洲大陆架上的阿古拉斯电流的影响，在阿古拉斯银行和南部本格拉上升流区域的环流之间的连接，这些大陆架地区的敏感性气候相关的风强迫的变化。核心假设是，大陆架和深海之间的相互作用受到厄古拉斯涡旋过境的影响。该项目将促进了解这些相互作用对Agulhas银行的影响，并将其推广到本格拉地区。了解南部非洲区域大陆架和深海的相互作用将有助于预测气候变化对区域生态系统的影响以及这些生态系统对气候变化的潜在反馈，本项目使用面向过程的建模来描述大陆架和开阔洋之间的相互作用，包括阿古拉斯海流、阿古拉斯浅滩、和南部本格拉上升流区（SBUR），并评估其对气候变率和气候变化的敏感性。研究人员假设AC控制AB的温盐结构，并且它是外大陆架和中大陆架区域环流的主要驱动力。风应力强迫控制着陆架内的环流以及AB和SBUR之间的交换。该项目将调查AC和非洲大陆之间涡动驱动的相互作用及其对AC路径沿着混合和水团变化的影响。这一奖项反映了NSF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进行评估，被认为值得支持的搜索.