References

Ocean Science

Ocean Sci.

1812-0792

Copernicus Publications

Göttingen, Germany

10.5194/os-8-369-2012

On the outflow of dense water from the Weddell and Ross Seas in OCCAM model

Kerr

¹ ² Heywood

K. J.

³ Mata

M. M.

¹ ² Garcia

C. A. E.

Laboratório de Estudos dos Oceanos e Clima, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil

Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia da Criosfera (INCT-CRIOSFERA), RS, Brazil

School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK

14 06 2012

8 3 369 388

2012

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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We describe the seasonal and interannual variability of volume transports in the Weddell and Ross Seas using the 1/12° 20-yr simulation of the OCCAM global ocean general circulation model. The average simulated full-depth cumulative volume transports were 28.5 ± 2.9 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) and 13.4 ± 5.2 Sv, across the main export regions of the Weddell and Ross Seas, respectively. The values of mean outflow of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) (defined by neutral density γn ≥ 28.27 kg m−3) from the Weddell and Ross Seas of 10.6 ± 3.1 Sv and 0.5 ± 0.7 Sv, respectively, agree with the range reported in historical observational studies. The export of Weddell Sea dense water in OCCAM is primarily determined by the strength of the Weddell Gyre. Variability in AABW export is predominantly at periods of ~1 yr and 2–4 yr.

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