Variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and its role in heat and mass transports

1994 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 05640476
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Meteorology/Physical oceanography/Hydrology
• Research Institution: KYOTO UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: AKITOMO Kazunori Kyoto Univ., Geophysics, Instructor, 大学院・理学研究科, 助手 (10222530)
• Project Period (FY): 1993 – 1994
• Keywords: Antarctic Circumpolar Current / Polar Front / Subantarctic Front / Bottom Topography / Heat Transport

Research Abstract

Numerical experiments have been carried out with a high-resolution (1ﾟ*0.5ﾟ) general circulation model to clarify the frontal structures of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and their role in heat and mass transports. Model ocean limited to south of 20ﾟS has real geometry and topography and the flow is diagnostically driven by seasonal data sets of temperature, salinity and wind stress fields. The Polar and the Subantarctic Fronts (PF and SAF) of the ACC do not continue around the Antarctica. They are manifested by bottom topography such as ridges and plateaux while diffused over the flat basin. Thus, these fronts do not act as barriers for heat and mass transports, instead a large amount of water moves across the frontal regions to enable a significant heat transport. The experiments also suggest that variability of the ACC plays an important role in these transport processes.