Open AccessAnnual Southern Ocean heat flux measured for first time
Author(s) -
Schultz Colin
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2012eo440018
Subject(s) - ocean heat content , climatology , ocean current , flux (metallurgy) , oceanography , environmental science , thermohaline circulation , physical oceanography , general circulation model , geology , geography , climate change , materials science , metallurgy
The Southern Ocean makes up nearly a quarter of the global ocean by surface area and plays a powerful role in regulating Earth's climate by affecting ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns. Modeled representations of the Southern Ocean, however, are plagued by uncertainty. Obtaining direct observations of Southern Ocean properties with which to confirm the modeled estimates is difficult in such hostile polar conditions. To help overcome this shortfall, the Southern Ocean Flux Station (SOFS), the first moored sensor array to ever be successfully deployed in the Southern Ocean, was set up south of Australia.