Articles | Volume 21, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-1237-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-1237-2025
Research article
 | Highlight paper
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07 Jul 2025
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 07 Jul 2025

Local versus far-field control on South Pacific Subantarctic mode water variability

Ciara Pimm, Andrew J. S. Meijers, Dani C. Jones, and Richard G. Williams

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Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3855', Timothy Smith, 10 Feb 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Ciara Pimm, 11 Mar 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3855', David P. Marshall, 11 Feb 2025
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC2', Ciara Pimm, 11 Mar 2025
  • EC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3855', Julian Mak, 12 Feb 2025
    • AC2: 'Reply on EC1', Ciara Pimm, 11 Mar 2025

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
AR by Ciara Pimm on behalf of the Authors (11 Mar 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (12 Mar 2025) by Julian Mak
AR by Ciara Pimm on behalf of the Authors (12 Mar 2025)  Manuscript 
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Co-editor-in-chief
This paper highlights a new implementation of density co-ordinate functionality within an adjoint ocean model, the MITgcm ECCO adjoint. This is illustrated accordingly with a science application investigating the variability of Subantarctic Mode Water. The use of adjoints helps to trace causal links within the ocean, and the density-following feature is of particular interest for the ocean community with many possible further applications.
Short summary
Subantarctic mode water in the South Pacific Ocean is important due to its role in the uptake and transport of anthropogenic heat and carbon. The Subantarctic mode water region can be split into two pools using mixed-layer-depth properties. Sensitivity experiments are used to understand the effects of heating and wind on each pool. It is found that the optimal conditions to form large amounts of Subantarctic mode water in the South Pacific are local cooling and upstream warming combined.
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