The transient sensitivity of sea level rise Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-17-181-2021 18 February 2021 Here, we introduce a similar metric for sea level response. We find that future projections estimated on climate model responses fall below extrapolation based on recent observational records.This comparison suggests that the likely upper level of sea level projections in recent IPCC reports would be too low. Read more
Glider-based observations of CO2 in the Labrador Sea Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-17-1-2021 25 January 2021 This paper describes challenges around the direct measurement of CO 2 in the ocean using ocean gliders. We discuss our method of using multiple sensor platforms as test beds to carry out observing experiments and highlight the implications of our study for future glider missions. We also show high-resolution measurements and discuss challenges and lessons learned in the context of future ocean gas measurements. Read more
Beaching patterns of plastic debris along the Indian Ocean rim Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-16-1317-2020 26 November 2020 A large percentage of global ocean plastic enters the Indian Ocean through rivers, but the fate of these plastics is generally unknown. In this paper, we use computer simulations to show that floating plastics beach and end up on coastlines throughout the Indian Ocean. Coastlines where a lot of plastic enters the ocean are heavily affected by beaching plastic, but plastics can also beach far from the source on remote islands and countries that contribute little plastic pollution of their own. Read more
Connecting flow–topography interactions, vorticity balance, baroclinicinstability and transport in the Southern Ocean: the case of an idealizedstorm track Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-16-1207-2020 12 November 2020 The dynamical balance of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and its implications on the functioning of the world ocean are not fully understood and poorly represented in global circulation models. In this study, the sensitivities of an idealized Southern Ocean (SO) storm track are explored with a set of eddy-rich numerical simulations. We show that the classical partition between barotropic and baroclinic modes is sensitive to current–topography interactions in the mesoscale range of 10–100 km. Read more
The Ekman spiral for piecewise-uniform viscosity Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-16-1089-2020 22 October 2020 Ekman’s (1905) solution for how wind affects ocean surface currents is revisited and extended analytically for a piecewise-constant profile of vertical diffusion. This allows a comprehensive understanding of how the surface current deflection angle relative to the wind direction varies with the profile of vertical diffusion. Read more
Why did deep convection persist over four consecutive winters (2015–2018) southeast of Cape Farewell? Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-16-99-2020 27 January 2020 The region south of Cape Farewell (SCF) is recognized as a deep convection site. Convection deeper than 1300 m occurred SCF in 2015 and persisted during three additional winters. Extreme air–sea buoyancy fluxes caused the 2015 event. For the following winters, air–sea fluxes were close to the climatological average, but local cooling above 800 m and the advection below 1200 m of a fresh anomaly from the Labrador Sea decreased stratification and allowed for the persistence of deep convection. Read more
Generation of Rossby waves off the Cape Verde Peninsula: the role of the coastline Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-15-1667-2019 30 December 2019 In December 2002 and January 2003 satellite observations of chlorophyll showed a wavelike pattern with a wavelength of about 750 km south-west of the Cape Verde Peninsula. Such a pattern suggests the existence of a locally generated Rossby wave which slowly propagated westward. To verify this hypothesis a numerical study based on a simple model has been conducted. The numerical results are completed by an analytical study which evaluates the potential impact of the coastline shape. Read more
CO2 effects on diatoms: a synthesis of more than a decade of ocean acidification experiments with natural communities Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-15-1159-2019 28 August 2019 Diatoms are a group of phytoplankton species responsible for ~ 25% of primary production on Earth. Ocean acidification (OA) could influence diatoms but the key question is if they become more or less important within marine food webs. We synthesize OA experiments with natural communities and found that diatoms are more likely to be positively than negatively affected by high CO2 and larger species may profit in particular. This has important implications for ecosystem services diatoms provide. Read more
High-resolution underwater laser spectrometer sensing provides new insights into methane distribution at an Arctic seepage site Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-15-1055-2019 13 August 2019 Methane seepage from the seafloor west of Svalbard was investigated with a fast-response membrane inlet laser spectrometer. The acquired data were in good agreement with traditional sparse discrete water sampling, subsequent gas chromatography, and with a new 2-D model based on echo-sounder data. However, the acquired high-resolution data revealed unprecedented details of the methane distribution, which highlights the need for high-resolution measurements for future climate studies. Read more
Impacts of Three Gorges Dam’s operation on spatial–temporal patterns of tide–river dynamics in the Yangtze River estuary, China Ocean Science DOI 10.5194/os-15-583-2019 28 May 2019 In this study, we assessed the impacts of the world’s largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), on tide–river dynamics and concluded that the strongest impacts occurred during autumn and winter due to the TGD’s operation. The results obtained will hopefully enhance our understanding of the impacts of large-scale human interventions on estuarine hydrodynamics and guide effective and sustainable water management in the Yangtze River estuary and other estuaries with substantial freshwater discharge. Read more
