Submesoscale streamers exchange water on the north wall of the Gulf Stream
| Type | : | ACL |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | : | Production scientifique |
| Au bénéfice du Laboratoire | : | Non |
| Statut de publication | : | Publié |
| Année de publication | : | 2016 |
| Auteurs (11) | : | KLYMAK Jody,m SHEARMAN R,k GULA J LEE C D'ASARO Eric THOMAS L HARCOURT R,r SHCHERBINA A,y SUNDERMEYER M,a MOLEMAKER J MCWILLIAMS J,c |
| Revue scientifique | : | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Volume | : | 43 |
| Fascicule | : | 3 |
| Pages | : | 1226-1233 |
| DOI | : | 10.1002/2015GL067152 |
| URL | : | - |
| Abstract | : | The Gulf Stream is a major conduit of warm surface water from the tropics to the subpolar North Atlantic. Here we observe and simulate a submesoscale (<20km) mechanism by which the Gulf Stream exchanges water with subpolar water to the north. Along isopycnals, the front has a sharp compensated temperature-salinity contrast, with distinct mixed water between the two water masses 2 and 4km wide. This mixed water does not increase downstream despite substantial energy available for mixing. A series of streamers detrain this water at the crest of meanders. Subpolar water replaces the mixed water and resharpens the front. The water mass exchange accounts for a northward flux of salt of 0.5-2.5 psum(2)s(-1), (large-scale diffusivity O (100m(2)s(-1))). This is similar to bulk-scale flux estimates of 1.2psum(2)s(-1) and supplies fresher water to the Gulf Stream required for the production of 18 degrees subtropical mode water. |
| Mots-clés | : | eddies; Gulf Stream; JETS; ocean mixing; SOUTHERN-OCEAN; submesoscale mixing; SURFACE; TRAJECTORIES; TRANSPORT; WAVES |
| Commentaire | : | Times Cited in Web of Science Core Collection: 21 |
| Tags | : | - |
| Fichier attaché | : | - |
| Citation | : |
Klymak JM, Shearman RK, Gula J, Lee C, D'Asaro E, Thomas L, Harcourt RR, Shcherbina AY, Sundermeyer MA, Molemaker J, McWilliams JC (2016) Submesoscale streamers exchange water on the north wall of the Gulf Stream. Geophys Res Lett 43: 1226-1233 | doi: 10.1002/2015GL067152
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