Abstracted/indexed

Satellite-independent datasets are used to explain the contributions to Arctic sea level change that is observed by satellite altimetry and tide gauges. It utilises comprehensive datasets of ocean temperature and salinity which shows that expansion due to added freshwater is the main contribution to spatial sea level variability. A novel high resolution model of vertical land motion is used to align tide gauges measured relative sea level to absolute sea level as observed by satellites.

The circulation patterns in the confluence of the North Atlantic Subtropical and Tropical gyres delimited by the Cape Verde Frontal Zone (CVFZ) in summer 2017 were examined in this paper. Hydrology, O₂ and inorganic nutrients data collected in a closed box embracing the CVFZ allowed estimating transports of water masses, O₂ and inorganic nutrients for the first time. In summary, it is concluded that higher transports occurred at central waters were moderately affected by CVFZ.

Regions of enhanced Chlorophyll-a concentrations can be identified by applying a threshold to the concentration value to a forecast and observed field (or analysis). These regions can then be treated and analysed as features using diagnostic techniques to consider of the evolution of the chlorophyll-a blooms in space and time. This allows us to understand whether the biogeochemistry in the model has any skill in predicting these blooms, their location, intensity, onset, duration and demise.

We quantify the mesoscale eddy field in the Lofoten Basin using Lagrangian model trajectories and aim to estimate the relative importance of eddies compared to the ambient flow in transporting warm Atlantic Water to the Lofoten Basin as well as modifying it. Water properties are largely changed in eddies compared to the ambient flow. However, only a relatively small fraction of eddies is detected in the basin. The ambient flow therefore dominates the heat transport to the Lofoten Basin.

This modeling study describes a methodology for describing pollutant discharges from ships to the sea. The pilot area used is the Baltic Sea area and discharges of bilge, ballast, sewage, wash water as well as stern tube oil are reported for the year 2012. This work also reports the release of SOx scrubber effluents. This technique may be used by ships to comply with tight sulphur limits inside Emission Control Areas, but it also introduces a new pollutant stream from ships to sea.

The Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) is one of the high priority satellite missions of the Copernicus program within the European Space Agency. It is designed to respond to the European Union Arctic policy. Its channels, incidence angle, precisions, and spatial resolutions have been selected to observe the Arctic Ocean with the recommendations expressed by the user communities. In this note, we present the sensitivity analysis that has led to the choice of the CIMR channels.

Plastic pollution is a major environmental issue affecting the world’s oceans. The amount of floating and sedimented pieces has been quantified by several studies. But their abundance in the water column remains mostly unknown. As a step to fill this gap we model the dynamics of a particular type of particles, rigid microplastics sinking rapidly in open sea. We find that they represent a small but appreciable fraction of the total sea plastic, and discuss characteristics of their sinking motion.

Since the mid-1990’s, a series of FES (Finite Element Solution) global ocean tidal atlases have been produced with the primary objective to provide altimetry missions with tidal de-aliasing correction. We describe the underlying hydrodynamic/data assimilation design and accuracy assessments for the FES2014 release. The FES2014 atlas shows overall improved performances and has consequently been integrated in satellite altimetry and gravimetric data processing, and adopted in ITRF standards.

The various currents in the Southwest Pacific Ocean contribute to the redistribution of waters from the subtropical gyre equatorward and poleward. The drivers of their interannual variability are not completely understood, but are usually thought to be related to well-known climate modes of variability. Here, we suggest that oceanic chaotic variability alone, by definition unpredictable, explains the major part of this interannual variability south of 20° S.

Following the concerns regarding the consequences of global warming and sea levels rise around the globe, we decided to evaluate how Dublin bay, as an important metropolitan area, is getting affected. After analysing the recordings of multiple tide gauges that are measuring sea levels in the bay, we found that the sea level has been rising 10 millimeters per year between 2003 and 2015 in the region. Also according to our estimations, sea level rise has not been negative since 1996.

Zonal current anomaly variations in the SETIO using 64-year HYCOM output are identified, varying from intraseasonal to interannual timescales. Distinctive features of zonal currents in the regions of SJC, ITF/SEC, and transition zone between them are found, with difference of dominant signals in each region. This work may contribute to further understanding of zonal current characteristics variabilities in the SETIO both in space and time as well as identification of its dominant time scales.

The Korea Strait is a major navigation passage linking the Japan Sea to the East China Sea and Yellow Sea. This paper establishes a theoretical model for the tides in the Korea Strait and Japan Sea using the extended Taylor method. The model solution explains the formation mechanism of the tidal amphidromic systems in the Korea Strait, and why the K₁ amphidromic point is located farther away from the shelf break separating the Korea Strait and Japan Sea in comparison to the M₂ amphidromic point.