Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

On the Sensitivity of the Drake Passage Transport to Air–Sea Momentum Flux

Matthew R. Mazloff Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California

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Print Publication:
01 Apr 2012
Collections:
CLIVAR/SeaFlux
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00030.1
Page(s):
2279–2290
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Abstract

An eddy-permitting state estimate and its adjoint are used to analyze the influence of wind stress perturbations on the transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) system through Drake Passage. The transport is found to be sensitive to wind stress perturbations both along the ACC path and also in remote regions. The time scale of influence of wind stress perturbations is on the order of 100 days. Regarding spatial scales, the sensitivity of transport to wind stress is relatively smooth in regions of flat topography. In boundary regions and regions with complex topography, however, the sensitivity is enhanced and characterized by shorter length scales of order 100 km. Positive perturbations to the zonal wind stress usually increase the ACC transport, though the wind stress curl is of primary influence where the currents are steered by topography. Highlighting locations where the ACC is especially responsive to air–sea momentum fluxes reveals where an accurate determination of atmospheric winds may best enhance ocean modeling efforts.

Corresponding author address: Matthew Mazloff, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093. E-mail: mmazloff@ucsd.edu

This article is included in the CLIVAR/SeaFlux special collection.

Abstract

An eddy-permitting state estimate and its adjoint are used to analyze the influence of wind stress perturbations on the transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) system through Drake Passage. The transport is found to be sensitive to wind stress perturbations both along the ACC path and also in remote regions. The time scale of influence of wind stress perturbations is on the order of 100 days. Regarding spatial scales, the sensitivity of transport to wind stress is relatively smooth in regions of flat topography. In boundary regions and regions with complex topography, however, the sensitivity is enhanced and characterized by shorter length scales of order 100 km. Positive perturbations to the zonal wind stress usually increase the ACC transport, though the wind stress curl is of primary influence where the currents are steered by topography. Highlighting locations where the ACC is especially responsive to air–sea momentum fluxes reveals where an accurate determination of atmospheric winds may best enhance ocean modeling efforts.

Corresponding author address: Matthew Mazloff, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093. E-mail: mmazloff@ucsd.edu

This article is included in the CLIVAR/SeaFlux special collection.

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