Wind synoptic activity increases oxygen levels in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

Duteil, Olaf (2019) Wind synoptic activity increases oxygen levels in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Open Access Geophysical Research Letters, 46 (5). pp. 2715-2725. DOI 10.1029/2018GL081041.

[thumbnail of Duteil-2019-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf]
Preview
Text
Duteil-2019-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (1MB) | Preview
[thumbnail of Duteil-2019-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf]
Preview
Text
Duteil-2019-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf - Published Version

Download (2MB) | Preview

Supplementary data:

Abstract

The mechanisms controlling the variability of oxygen levels in the ocean are poorly quantified. We focus here on the impact of wind synoptic variability associated with tropical convective regions and extra‐tropical storms. Removing the wind higher frequencies of variability (2 days – 1 month) in an atmosphere reanalysis used to force an ocean model decreases wind stress by up to 20% in the tropics and 50% in the mid‐latitudes, weakening wind‐driven ocean circulation by 20%. Oxygen levels decrease by up to 10 mmol.m‐3 in tropical oceans and 30 mmol.m‐3 in subtropical gyres mainly due to changes in advective processes. While a large part of the tropical oxygen anomaly has local origins, changes in oxygen levels in the subtropical gyres modulate tropical oxygen distribution. Our study suggests that the “storminess” of the ocean is an important parameter that could determine the future evolution of poorly oxygenated regions.

Document Type: Article
Keywords: Oxygen, ocean modeling, spnoptic variability, biogeochemical cycles, OMZ
Research affiliation: OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB2 Marine Biogeochemistry > FB2-BM Biogeochemical Modeling
OceanRep > SFB 754
OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB1 Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics > FB1-OD Ocean Dynamics
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: AGU (American Geophysical Union), Wiley
Related URLs:
Projects: SFB754, Opendap
Date Deposited: 18 Feb 2019 14:21
Last Modified: 31 Jan 2022 09:17
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/45828

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item