Bottom and Deep water formation due to the interaction of convective and baroclinic instabilities

• Project/Area Number: 20540423
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Meteorology/Physical oceanography/Hydrology
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: AKITOMO Kazunori 京都大学, 大学院・理学研究科, 准教授 (10222530)
• Project Period (FY): 2008 – 2010
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2010)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2010: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2009: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2008: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: 海洋物理学 / 対流 / 傾圧不安定 / 高緯度海域 / 底・深層水 / 軽圧不安定

Research Abstract

To investigate the interaction of convective and baroclinic instabilities, 3-D model experiments have been executed using a nonhydrostatic equation system. The baroclinic flow becomes unstable to develop into pairs of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies in the convective mixed layer after cooling sets on. Properties of anticyclonic eddies resemble those of submesoscale coherent vortices(SCVs) which have been often observed in polar oceans. The downward transport associated with the eddies increases with background slope of isopycnals. It is needed to take into account the effects of diabatic processes(convection) for better parameterization of the eddy transport in a general circulation model.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Two types of thermo baric deep convection possible in the Greenland Sea (2011)
  • Author(s): Akitomo, K
  • Journal Title: Journal of Geophysical Research Volume: 116 Issue: C8
  • DOI: 10.1029/2010jc006635
  • Year and Date: 2011-08-11
• [Journal Article] Baroclinic instability and submesoscale eddy formation in weakly stratified oceans under cooling (2010)
  • Author(s): Akitomo, K
  • Journal Title: Journal of Geophysical Research Volume: vol.115 Issue: C11
  • DOI: 10.1029/2010jc006125
• [Journal Article] Baroclinic instability and submesoscale eddy formation in weakly stratified oceans under cooling (2010)
  • Author(s): Kazunori Akitomo
  • Journal Title: Journal of Geophysical Research Volume: 115
  • Peer Reviewed