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SUMMARY:Variability of the Antarctic slope current system in the northwest
 ern Weddell Sea - Marina Azaneu\, University of East Anglia
DTSTART:20171025T120000Z
DTEND:20171025T130000Z
UID:TALK74391@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Peter Davis
DESCRIPTION:The dense water outflow from the Southern Ocean continental sh
 elf is closely associated with the strength and position of the Antarctic 
 Slope Front. Here we explore the short-term variability of the Antarctic S
 lope Front system and the mechanisms that regulate cross-slope exchange pr
 ocesses using high temporally- and spatially-resolved measurements from th
 ree ocean gliders deployed in 2012. Orkney Islands\, are grouped regionall
 y and composited by isobaths. There is consistency in the front position a
 round the Powell Basin while the magnitude of the velocity field shows sub
 stantial variability\, up to 2.2 times its mean value. The along-slope tra
 nsport of the Antarctic Slope Current (upper 1000 m) varies between 0.2 an
 d 5.9 Sv and does not exhibit a regional pattern. High eddy activity in th
 e slope region contributes to the variability of the Slope Current. In mos
 t of the study area the flow is bottom intensified\, even in the absence o
 f bottom water export form the shelf. Common to all sections within the Po
 well Basin is a potential vorticity gradient on isopycnals. The vertical b
 uoyancy gradient makes the main contribution to the potential vorticity\, 
 and is enhanced in the dense water layer. A susceptibility of the flow to 
 baroclinic instabilities is identified over the slope\, mainly in the pres
 ence of dense flow. Glider transects west of the South Orkney Islands indi
 cate a northward flow\, which differs from previous estimates of the mean 
 circulation’s orientation. This study provides some of the first observa
 tional confirmation of the high frequency variability associated with an a
 ctive eddy field that has been suggested by recent numerical simulations i
 n this region.
LOCATION:British Antarctic Survey\, Innovation Centre\, Seminar Room 2
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