The Southern Ocean mixed layer and its boundary fluxes: fine-scale observational progress and future research priorities
Contributors
- 1. University of Gothenburg
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2.
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
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3.
California Institute of Technology
- 4. Göteborgs Universitet
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5.
University of East Anglia
- 6. University of Washingon
- 7. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- 8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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9.
University of Washington
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10.
National Institute for Space Research
Description
Interactions between the upper ocean and air-ice-ocean fluxes in the Southern Ocean play a critical role in global climate by impacting the overturning circulation and oceanic heat and carbon uptake. Remote and challenging conditions have led to sparse observational coverage, while ongoing field programmes often fail to collect sufficient information in the right place or at the time-space scales required to constrain the variability occurring in the coupled ocean-atmosphere system. Only within the last 10 years have we been able to directly observe and assess the role of the fine-scale ocean and rapidly evolving atmospheric marine boundary layer on the upper limb of the Southern Ocean's overturning circulation. This review summarizes advances in mechanistic understanding, arising in part from observational programmes using autonomous platforms, of the fine-scale processes (1–100 km, hours-seasons) influencing the Southern Ocean mixed layer and its variability. We also review progress in observing the ocean interior connections and the coupled interactions between the ocean, atmosphere and cryosphere that moderate air-sea fluxes of heat and carbon. Most examples provided are for the ice-free Southern Ocean, while major challenges remain for observing the ice-covered ocean. We attempt to elucidate contemporary research gaps and ongoing/future efforts needed to address them.
Files
2023_swart_southern_ocean_physics_royal_soc.pdf
Files
(1.7 MB)
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Additional details
Identifiers
Dates
- Available
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2023-05-08