Mesoscale Eddies in the Brazilian Continental Margin

南大西洋的独特之处在于它向赤道方向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)经历了很强的短期变化，这可能是由于中尺度涡旋造成的。然而，位于巴西-马尔维纳斯交汇处上游的巴西大陆边缘缺乏对中尺度涡旋的深入描述。该项目将利用协同观测方法，详细描述该区域涡旋的结构和可变性。该项目将通过提供观测基准，为建立碳封存和再分配模型的工作提供信息，这需要准确地表示中尺度涡旋。它将支持早期职业PI，并拓宽康涅狄格大学(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州大学预科暑期项目中与高中生分享海洋涡旋的科学知识。该项目旨在描述巴西大陆边缘地区约20至35度S的涡旋的天气水平和垂直结构，建立涡旋合成并估计其异常热量和盐分/淡水含量。将使用高度计产品(沿轨道和绘制的绝对动态地形和海平面异常以及涡流跟踪轨迹)、ARGO浮标(剖面和轨迹)和高分辨率XBT/CTD断面的数据。这些方法将被用来区分巴西海流区的本地涡旋和远程涡旋，检验远程涡旋对巴西海流区中尺度变率有重大贡献的假设，并对巴西大陆边缘的中尺度变率进行详细研究。具体地说，该项目将(A)表征涡旋特征及其季节性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分/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智力优势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.