Articles | Volume 17, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-1545-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-1545-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
02 Nov 2021
Research article |
| 02 Nov 2021
| 02 Nov 2021
Defining Southern Ocean fronts using unsupervised classification
British Antarctic Survey, NERC, UKRI, Cambridge, UK
Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Daniel C. Jones
British Antarctic Survey, NERC, UKRI, Cambridge, UK
Anita Faul
British Antarctic Survey, NERC, UKRI, Cambridge, UK
Erik Mackie
Cambridge Zero, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
British Antarctic Survey, NERC, UKRI, Cambridge, UK
Etienne Pauthenet
LOCEAN-IPSL, UPMC Université, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
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Cited
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Finale: impact of the ORCHESTRA/ENCORE programmes on Southern Ocean heat and carbon understanding A. Meijers et al. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2022.0070
- A machine learning approach to identify upper ocean water masses in the Indian Ocean S. Singh & M. Sapkal https://doi.org/10.1007/s40012-025-00417-9
- Gaussian Mixture Model-Based Cloud- Phase Estimation From GEO- KOMPSAT-2A Observations D. Kim & D. Shin https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2024.3383888
- Unsupervised classification identifies coherent thermohaline structures in the Weddell Gyre region D. Jones et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-857-2023
- Unsupervised classification of the northwestern European seas based on satellite altimetry data L. Poropat et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-201-2024
- Winter sea ice edge shaped by Antarctic Circumpolar Current pathways H. Goosse et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5763-2025
- Different types of subsurface acoustic ducts in the North Pacific A. Xu et al. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0039545
- Unveiling Regional Climate Patterns Through Global Subsurface Ocean Temperature Data: An AI Multi-Layer Analysis Framework C. Radin & V. Nieves https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-024-00409-w
- Defining Southern Ocean fronts using unsupervised classification S. Thomas et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-1545-2021
- GBM: An Ocean Front Detection Framework Y. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2026.3660295
- Characterizing vertical upper ocean temperature structures in the European Arctic through unsupervised machine learning E. Thomas & M. Müller https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2022.102092
- Detection of coherent thermohaline structures over the global ocean using clustering E. Romero et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2024.104344
- Novel Approach and Index for Evaluating Harmonic Contributions of Multiple Harmonic Sources Based on Gaussian Mixture Model With Multipoint Harmonic Phasor Measurements C. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRD.2025.3647055
- Sea Ice‐Driven Variability in the Pacific Subantarctic Mode Water Formation Regions R. Sanders et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JC020006
- Three Types of Antarctic Intermediate Water Revealed by a Machine Learning Approach X. Xia et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099445
- Fine-scale observations reveal distinct frontal phytoplankton communities L. Oms et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03350-0
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Finale: impact of the ORCHESTRA/ENCORE programmes on Southern Ocean heat and carbon understanding A. Meijers et al. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2022.0070
- A machine learning approach to identify upper ocean water masses in the Indian Ocean S. Singh & M. Sapkal https://doi.org/10.1007/s40012-025-00417-9
- Gaussian Mixture Model-Based Cloud- Phase Estimation From GEO- KOMPSAT-2A Observations D. Kim & D. Shin https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2024.3383888
- Unsupervised classification identifies coherent thermohaline structures in the Weddell Gyre region D. Jones et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-857-2023
- Unsupervised classification of the northwestern European seas based on satellite altimetry data L. Poropat et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-201-2024
- Winter sea ice edge shaped by Antarctic Circumpolar Current pathways H. Goosse et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5763-2025
- Different types of subsurface acoustic ducts in the North Pacific A. Xu et al. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0039545
- Unveiling Regional Climate Patterns Through Global Subsurface Ocean Temperature Data: An AI Multi-Layer Analysis Framework C. Radin & V. Nieves https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-024-00409-w
- Defining Southern Ocean fronts using unsupervised classification S. Thomas et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-1545-2021
- GBM: An Ocean Front Detection Framework Y. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2026.3660295
- Characterizing vertical upper ocean temperature structures in the European Arctic through unsupervised machine learning E. Thomas & M. Müller https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2022.102092
- Detection of coherent thermohaline structures over the global ocean using clustering E. Romero et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2024.104344
- Novel Approach and Index for Evaluating Harmonic Contributions of Multiple Harmonic Sources Based on Gaussian Mixture Model With Multipoint Harmonic Phasor Measurements C. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRD.2025.3647055
- Sea Ice‐Driven Variability in the Pacific Subantarctic Mode Water Formation Regions R. Sanders et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JC020006
- Three Types of Antarctic Intermediate Water Revealed by a Machine Learning Approach X. Xia et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099445
- Fine-scale observations reveal distinct frontal phytoplankton communities L. Oms et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03350-0
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 21 Aug 2026
Short summary
We propose a probabilistic method and a new inter-class comparison metric for highlighting fronts in the Southern Ocean. We compare it with an image processing method that provides a more localised view of fronts that effectively highlights sharp jets. These two complementary approaches offer two views of Southern Ocean structure: the probabilistic method highlights boundaries between coherent thermohaline structures across the entire Southern Ocean, whereas edge detection highlights local jets.
We propose a probabilistic method and a new inter-class comparison metric for highlighting...
