ALBERT

Description: This thesis focuses on the nature of oceanic Eddy Kinetic Energy (EKE), its generation and temporal variability. An Ocean General Circulation Model (OGCM) based on the NEMO code builds the foundation for these investigations. For a first case study, several simulations of a 1/4° configuration are used to investigate the temporal variability of EKE in the South Pacific Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC). Decadal changes in wind stress curl associated with the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) lead to up- and downwelling in the STCC, influencing the meridional density gradient and thereby STCC strength, baroclinic instability and the resulting EKE. An additional 30 to 40% of the local density anomalies can be explained by long baroclinic Rossby waves propagating into the region, modulating the decadal signal of the IPO’s influence in the STCC on interannual time scales. In a second case study, the model’s horizontal resolution is regionally increased to 1/20° in the North Atlantic to investigate different types of mesoscale eddies in the Labrador Sea. On decadal time scales, the temporal variability of EKE in the LS is driven by the large-scale atmospheric circulation. In the case of Convective Eddies (CE), local winter heat loss leads to deep convection, a baroclinically unstable rim-current is established along the edge of the convection area and generates EKE at mid-depth. The variations of EKE associated with the surface intensified Irminger Rings (IR) and Boundary Current Eddies are driven by the large-scale changes of the currents of the subpolar gyre. While IR play a vital role in stratifying large parts of the LS and thus suppressing deep convection, CE are the major driver of rapid restratification during and after deep convection.

Description: Oceanic eddies are an important component in preconditioning the central Labrador Sea (LS) for deep convection and in restratifying the convected water. This study investigates the different sources and impacts of Eddy Kinetic Energy (EKE) and its temporal variability in the LS with the help of a 52-year long hindcast simulation of a 1/20° ocean model. Irminger Rings (IR) are generated in the West Greenland Current (WGC) between 60 and 62°N, mainly affect preconditioning and limit the northward extent of the convection area. The IR exhibit a seasonal cycle and decadal variations linked to the WGC strength, varying with the circulation of the subpolar gyre. The mean and temporal variations of IR generation can be attributed to changes in deep ocean baroclinic and upper ocean barotropic instabilities at comparable magnitudes. The main source of EKE and restratification in the central LS are Convective Eddies (CE). They are generated by baroclinic instabilities near the bottom of the mixed layer during and after convection. The CE have a mid-depth core and reflect the hydrographic properties of the convected water mass with a distinct minimum in potential vorticity. Their seasonal to decadal variability is tightly connected to the local atmospheric forcing and the associated air-sea heat fluxes. A third class of eddies in the LS are the Boundary Current Eddies shed from the Labrador Current (LC). Since they are mostly confined to the vicinity of the LC, these eddies appear to exert only minor influence on preconditioning and restratification.

Description: The Agulhas Current, the western boundary current of the South Indian Ocean, has been shown to play an important role in the connectivity between the Indian and Atlantic oceans. The greater Agulhas Current system is highly dominated by mesoscale dynamics. To investigate their influence on the regional and global circulations, a family of high-resolution ocean general circulation model configurations based on the NEMO code has been developed. Horizontal resolution refinement is achieved by embedding “nests” covering the South Atlantic and the western Indian oceans at 1/10∘ (INALT10) and 1/20∘ (INALT20) within global hosts with coarser resolutions. Nests and hosts are connected through two-way interaction, allowing the nests not only to receive boundary conditions from their respective host but also to feed back the impact of regional dynamics onto the global ocean. A double-nested configuration at 1/60∘ resolution (INALT60) has been developed to gain insights into submesoscale processes within the Agulhas Current system. Large-scale measures such as the Drake Passage transport and the strength of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation are rather robust among the different configurations, indicating the important role of the hosts in providing a consistent embedment of the regionally refined grids into the global circulation. The dynamics of the Agulhas Current system strongly depend on the representation of mesoscale processes. Both the southward-flowing Agulhas Current and the northward-flowing Agulhas Undercurrent increase in strength with increasing resolution towards more realistic values, which suggests the importance of improving mesoscale dynamics as well as bathymetric slopes along this narrow western boundary current regime. The exploration of numerical choices such as lateral boundary conditions and details of the implementation of surface wind stress forcing demonstrates the range of solutions within any given configuration.