VARIABILITY IN A HOMOGENEOUS GLOBAL OCEAN FORCED BY BAROMETRIC-PRESSURE

The nature of the oceanic response to pressure loading is explored usi ng a constant-density, shallow-water numerical model driven by atmosph eric pressure fields from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts. The model has realistic bottom topography and coastlines a nd is run for 1 year (1986) on a global domain. Meridional gradients i n mean sea-level are generally large (10-20 cm over 20-30-degrees), pa rticularly in high southern latitudes. Sea-level variability is strong in mid- and high latitudes (typical standard deviations of 10-15 cm), but weakens towards the equator. Results indicate a significant contr ibution of pressure-driven fluctuations to the observed large-scale se a-level variability in mid- and high latitudes, away from western boun dary regions. Pressure-induced velocity signals are, in contrast, gene rally small compared with other types of variability. The validity of the inverted barometer approximation is found to be strongly dependent on frequency and geographical location. Globally, the approximation i s not reliable for periods shorter than approximately 2 days, but fail ure at longer periods occurs over extensive regions (e.g. the tropical Atlantic and Pacific, and the Southern Ocean). Nonisostatic contribut ions to the sea-level variability are substantial in many areas, inclu ding the tropics, the high-latitude North Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico , and several other boundary regions. The dynamical signals are partly associated with the excitation of several high-frequency normal modes . Some of these features have a spatial structure and period very simi lar to normal modes calculated by Platzman and collaborators. Their pr esence in the model indicates that atmospheric pressure forcing is a p ossible mechanism for normal mode excitation.