The Rossby radius in the Arctic Ocean

Nurser, A. J. G.; Bacon, S.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/os-10-967-2014

Articles | Volume 10, issue 6

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-10-967-2014

© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-10-967-2014

© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 10, issue 6

Research article

|

28 Nov 2014

Research article |

| 28 Nov 2014

The Rossby radius in the Arctic Ocean

A. J. G. Nurser and S. Bacon

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Final revised paper (published on 28 Nov 2014)
Preprint (discussion started on 22 Oct 2013)

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment

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- Supplement

RC C593: 'Review of "Eddy length scales and the Rossby radius in the Arctic Ocean" (Nurser and Bacon)', Anonymous Referee #1, 13 Nov 2013
RC C760: 'Eddy length scales and the Rossby radius in the Arctic Ocean', Anonymous Referee #2, 28 Dec 2013
RC C854: 'Review of ‘Eddy length scales and the Rossby radius in the Arctic Ocean’ by A.J.G. Nurser and S. Bacon', Anonymous Referee #3, 27 Jan 2014
AC C1014: 'A. J. G. Nurser & S. Bacon, “Eddy length scales and the Rossby radius in the Arctic Ocean”. Authors’ initial replies to reviews.', Sheldon Bacon, 02 Apr 2014

Short summary

Knowledge of the size of the Rossby radius is important, because it is the horizontal scale of boundary currents, eddies and fronts in fluids on a rotating planet. We find that, in the deep basins of the Arctic Ocean, the Rossby radius is around 10km, but in the shallow shelf seas, it can be less than 1km. This presents a challenge to measurements and models alike.