Premium
Variability in Deep Western Boundary Current transports: Preliminary results from 26.5°N in the Atlantic
Author(s) -
Meinen Christopher S.,
Baringer Molly O.,
Garzoli Silvia L.
Publication year - 2006
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 - 10.1029/2006gl026965
Subject(s) - barotropic fluid , boundary current , baroclinity , geology , current meter , current (fluid) , oceanography , climatology , meridional flow , zonal and meridional , mean flow , ocean current , meteorology , geography , turbulence
Transport fluctuations of the deep limb of the Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) near the western boundary are presented from a line of inverted echo sounders, bottom pressure sensors, and a deep current meter east of Abaco Island, Bahamas, at 26.5°N from September 2004 through September 2005. The mean southward flow between 800 dbar and 4800 dbar was 39 × 10 6 m 3 s −1 , with a northward recirculation of 28 × 10 6 m 3 s −1 , leaving a net southward flow of 11 × 10 6 m 3 s −1 as the through‐flow of the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC). The mean southward DWBC flow essentially equals previous values that were measured at the same location by arrays of current meters deployed from 1986 to 1992. DWBC transport spectra indicate that barotropic and baroclinic changes have very similar energy levels at most periods less than 10 days and that barotropic changes dominate at periods of 10–80 days.