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Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

1986

Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The Physics Of The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, Worth D. Nowlin, John M. Klinck Jan 1986

The Physics Of The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, Worth D. Nowlin, John M. Klinck

CCPO Publications

A region of transition of surface water characteristics from subantarctic to Antarctic and an associated eastward flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) have long been recognized to exist as a band around Antarctica. In this review we summarize the most important observational and theoretical findings of the past decade regarding the ACC, identify gaps in our knowledge, and recommend studies to address these. The nature of the meridional zonation of the ACC is only now being revealed. The ACC seems to exist as multiple narrow jets imbedded in, or associated with, density fronts (the Subantarctic and Polar fronts) which appear to …


Deep Flow Variability In Central Drake Passage, John M. Klinck, Eileen E. Hofmann Jan 1986

Deep Flow Variability In Central Drake Passage, John M. Klinck, Eileen E. Hofmann

CCPO Publications

A rotary empirical orthogonal function analysis of the currents measured in central Drake Passage during DRAKE 79 shows that the deep (2500 m) flow has the same spatial and temporal structure as the flow at 500 m, suggesting that current variability in this region penetrates to the bottom. However, comparison of the time amplitude of the corresponding modes indicates that the variability of the 2500 m flow resulting from north to south shifts in the location of the Polar Front lags that at 500 m by one to three days. This implies that the Polar Front slopes to the east …