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The thermodynamic balance of the Weddell Gyre
Author(s) -
Naveira Garabato Alberto C.,
Zika Jan D.,
Jullion Loïc,
Brown Peter J.,
Holland Paul R.,
Meredith Michael P.,
Bacon Sheldon
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2015gl066658
Subject(s) - ocean gyre , circumpolar deep water , geology , weddell sea bottom water , water mass , oceanography , sea ice , deep ocean water , circumpolar star , thermohaline circulation , north atlantic deep water , arctic ice pack , antarctic sea ice , subtropics , fishery , biology
The thermodynamic balance of the Weddell Gyre is assessed from an inverse estimate of the circulation across the gyre's rim. The gyre experiences a weak net buoyancy gain that arises from a leading‐order cancelation between two opposing contributions, linked to two cells of water mass transformation and diapycnal overturning. The lower cell involves a cooling‐driven densification of 8.4 ± 2.0 Sv of Circumpolar Deep Water and Antarctic Bottom Water near the gyre's southern and western margins. The upper cell entails a freshening‐driven conversion of 4.9 ± 2.0 Sv of Circumpolar Deep Water into lighter upper ocean waters within the gyre interior. The distinct role of salinity between the two cells stems from opposing salinity changes induced by sea ice production, meteoric sources, and admixture of fresh upper ocean waters in the lower cell, which contrasts with coherent reductions in salinity associated with sea ice melting and meteoric sources in the upper cell.