Pairwise surface drifter separation in the Western Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean
File(s)aaedrifterspaperv14.pdf (2.99 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The Southern Ocean plays a critical role in global climate, yet the mixing properties of the circulation in this part of the ocean remain poorly understood. Here, dispersion in the vicinity of the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front, one of the branches of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, is studied using ten pairs of surface drifters deployed systematically across the frontal jet and its flanks. Drifter pairs were deployed with an initial separation of 13m and report their position every hour. The separation of the pairs over seven months, in terms of their Finite Scale Lyaponuv Exponents (FSLE), dispersion, and diffusivity, is characterized and related to expected behavior from Quasi-geostrophic (QG) and Surface Quasi-geostrophic (SQG) theories. The FSLE analysis reveals two submesoscale regimes, with SQG-like behavior at scales below 3.2km and mixed QG/SQG behavior at scales between 3.2km and 73km. The dispersion analysis, however, suggests QG-like behavior for the smallest scales. Both dispersion and diffusivity appear isotropic for scales up to 500km. Finally, there is no clear indication of a cross-jet variation of drifter dispersion.
Date Issued
2015-10-17
Date Acceptance
2015-09-29
Citation
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 2015, 120 (10), pp.6769-6781
ISSN
2169-9275
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Start Page
6769
End Page
6781
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
Volume
120
Issue
10
Copyright Statement
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: van Sebille, E., S. Waterman, A. Barthel, R. Lumpkin, S. R. Keating, C. Fogwill, and C. Turney (2015), Pairwise surface drifter separation in the western Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 120,, which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2015JC010972/abstract. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Oceanography
GULF-OF-MEXICO
RELATIVE DISPERSION
ADRIATIC SEA
DYNAMICS
STATISTICS
PATTERNS
MODEL
DIFFUSIVITY
CIRCULATION
Publication Status
Published