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Title: The Global Overturning Circulation
In this article, I use the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean version 4 (ECCO4) reanalysis to estimate the residual meridional overturning circulation, zonally averaged, over the separate Atlantic and Indo-Pacific sectors. The abyssal component of this estimate differs quantitatively from previously published estimates that use comparable observations, indicating that this component is still undersampled. I also review recent conceptual models of the oceanic meridional overturning circulation and of the mid-depth and abyssal stratification. These theories show that dynamics in the Antarctic circumpolar region are essential in determining the deep and abyssal stratification. In addition, they show that a mid-depth cell consistent with observational estimates is powered by the wind stress in the Antarctic circumpolar region, while the abyssal cell relies on interior diapycnal mixing, which is bottom intensified.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1634128
PAR ID:
10101067
Author(s) / Creator(s):
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Annual Review of Marine Science
Volume:
11
Issue:
1
ISSN:
1941-1405
Page Range / eLocation ID:
249 to 270
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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