A circumpolar gravest empirical mode for the Southern Ocean hydrography

Authors
Sun, C Watts, DR
Citation
C. Sun et Dr. Watts, A circumpolar gravest empirical mode for the Southern Ocean hydrography, J GEO RES-O, 106(C2), 2001, pp. 2833-2855
Citations number
15
Categorie Soggetti
Earth Sciences
Journal title
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS
ISSN journal
21699275 → ACNP
Volume
106
Issue
C2
Year of publication
2001
Pages
2833 - 2855
Database
ISI
SICI code
0148-0227(20010215)106:C2<2833:ACGEMF>2.0.ZU;2-Z
Abstract
Historical hydrographic data from the Southern Ocean are projected into a b aroclinic stream function space, generating a three-dimensional gravest emp irical mode (GEM) parameterized by pressure, geopotential height, and longi tude. The low-dimensional GEM projection is intrinsically steady, verticall y coherent, and equivalent barotropic. The GEM fields capture more than 97% of the total density and temperature variance in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current region.