Variability of the Ross Gyre, Southern Ocean: Drivers and responses revealed by satellite altimetry

Tiago S. Dotto; Alberto Naveira Garabato; Sheldon Bacon; Michel Tsamados; Paul R. Holland; Jack Hooley; Eleanor Frajka-Williams; Andy Ridout; Michael P. Meredith

doi:10.1029/2018GL078607

Variability of the Ross Gyre, Southern Ocean: Drivers and responses revealed by satellite altimetry

Tiago S. Dotto, Alberto Naveira Garabato, Sheldon Bacon, Michel Tsamados, Paul R. Holland, Jack Hooley, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Andy Ridout, Michael P. Meredith

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Abstract

Year-round variability in the Ross Gyre (RG), Antarctica, during 2011–2015, is derived using radar altimetry. The RG is characterized by a bounded recirculating component and a westward throughflow to the south. Two modes of variability of the sea surface height and ocean surface stress curl are revealed. The first represents a large-scale sea surface height change forced by the Antarctic Oscillation. The second represents semiannual variability in gyre area and strength, driven by fluctuations in sea level pressure associated with the Amundsen Sea Low. Variability in the throughflow is also linked to the Amundsen Sea Low. An adequate description of the oceanic circulation is achieved only when sea ice drag is accounted for in the ocean surface stress. The drivers of RG variability elucidated here have significant implications for our understanding of the oceanic forcing of Antarctic Ice Sheet melting and for the downstream propagation of its ocean freshening footprint.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	6195-6204
Number of pages	10
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	45
Issue number	12
Early online date	15 Jun 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL078607
Publication status	Published - 28 Jun 2018

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Cite this

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title = "Variability of the Ross Gyre, Southern Ocean: Drivers and responses revealed by satellite altimetry",

abstract = "Year-round variability in the Ross Gyre (RG), Antarctica, during 2011–2015, is derived using radar altimetry. The RG is characterized by a bounded recirculating component and a westward throughflow to the south. Two modes of variability of the sea surface height and ocean surface stress curl are revealed. The first represents a large-scale sea surface height change forced by the Antarctic Oscillation. The second represents semiannual variability in gyre area and strength, driven by fluctuations in sea level pressure associated with the Amundsen Sea Low. Variability in the throughflow is also linked to the Amundsen Sea Low. An adequate description of the oceanic circulation is achieved only when sea ice drag is accounted for in the ocean surface stress. The drivers of RG variability elucidated here have significant implications for our understanding of the oceanic forcing of Antarctic Ice Sheet melting and for the downstream propagation of its ocean freshening footprint.",

author = "Dotto, {Tiago S.} and {Naveira Garabato}, Alberto and Sheldon Bacon and Michel Tsamados and Holland, {Paul R.} and Jack Hooley and Eleanor Frajka-Williams and Andy Ridout and Meredith, {Michael P.}",

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T1 - Variability of the Ross Gyre, Southern Ocean: Drivers and responses revealed by satellite altimetry

AU - Dotto, Tiago S.

AU - Naveira Garabato, Alberto

AU - Bacon, Sheldon

AU - Tsamados, Michel

AU - Holland, Paul R.

AU - Hooley, Jack

AU - Frajka-Williams, Eleanor

AU - Ridout, Andy

AU - Meredith, Michael P.

PY - 2018/6/28

Y1 - 2018/6/28

N2 - Year-round variability in the Ross Gyre (RG), Antarctica, during 2011–2015, is derived using radar altimetry. The RG is characterized by a bounded recirculating component and a westward throughflow to the south. Two modes of variability of the sea surface height and ocean surface stress curl are revealed. The first represents a large-scale sea surface height change forced by the Antarctic Oscillation. The second represents semiannual variability in gyre area and strength, driven by fluctuations in sea level pressure associated with the Amundsen Sea Low. Variability in the throughflow is also linked to the Amundsen Sea Low. An adequate description of the oceanic circulation is achieved only when sea ice drag is accounted for in the ocean surface stress. The drivers of RG variability elucidated here have significant implications for our understanding of the oceanic forcing of Antarctic Ice Sheet melting and for the downstream propagation of its ocean freshening footprint.

AB - Year-round variability in the Ross Gyre (RG), Antarctica, during 2011–2015, is derived using radar altimetry. The RG is characterized by a bounded recirculating component and a westward throughflow to the south. Two modes of variability of the sea surface height and ocean surface stress curl are revealed. The first represents a large-scale sea surface height change forced by the Antarctic Oscillation. The second represents semiannual variability in gyre area and strength, driven by fluctuations in sea level pressure associated with the Amundsen Sea Low. Variability in the throughflow is also linked to the Amundsen Sea Low. An adequate description of the oceanic circulation is achieved only when sea ice drag is accounted for in the ocean surface stress. The drivers of RG variability elucidated here have significant implications for our understanding of the oceanic forcing of Antarctic Ice Sheet melting and for the downstream propagation of its ocean freshening footprint.

U2 - 10.1029/2018GL078607

DO - 10.1029/2018GL078607

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