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Origins and Pathways of the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent Identified by a Simulated Adjoint Tracer
Author(s) -
Nie Xunwei,
Gao Shan,
Wang Fan,
Chi Jianwei,
Qu Tangdong
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: oceans
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9291
pISSN - 2169-9275
DOI - 10.1029/2018jc014212
Subject(s) - equator , extratropical cyclone , tracer , climatology , oceanography , tropics , water mass , environmental science , ocean current , general circulation model , latitude , atmospheric sciences , geology , climate change , biology , ecology , physics , geodesy , nuclear physics
The origins and pathways of the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) are investigated using a simulated adjoint tracer of the consortium Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean. The main source waters of the EUC, as well as their transit time and contributions, are identified. The zonal variability of the EUC water composition and the contributions from different pathways are also estimated. Results show that the ratio of the EUC water coming from the tropics to that from extratropics is relatively stable (1 vs. 4) along the equator, except in the western Pacific where extratropical water is more dominant. The main body of extratropical water within the EUC is transported through the western boundary pathways, while the percent transported via the interior pathways gradually increases toward the east. Tropical water merges into the EUC mainly through the tropical cells with a larger portion through the northern side of the equator.