Graduation Year

2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Marine Science

Major Professor

Don Chambers, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Gary Mitchum, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Boris Galperin, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Gregory Johnson, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Joshua Willis, Ph.D.

Keywords

Jason, Argo, Antarctic Circumpolar Current, Transport Dynamics

Abstract

Zonal geostrophic velocity fields above 1975 dbar have been estimated for the Southern Ocean from 2004 to 2014 based on sea surface topography observed by Jason altimetry and temperature/salinity measured by Argo autonomous floats. The velocity at 1000 dbar estimated has been validated against Argo drift trajectory at the same pressure level available from the Asia Pacific Data Research Center (APDRC). Errors in mapping of dynamic ocean topography, temperature, and salinity have been quantified using the Southern Ocean State Estimate (SOSE). Analysis of errors reveals significant correlations between depth-dependent and –independent contributions to the integrated transport. Further analysis revealed optimal locations of historical ship casts to compliment the transport time series as observed by Argo. Quantifying the error associated with the historical hydrographic section indicated little benefit in combining hydrographic data obtained from ships. The anticorrelation between depth-dependent and – independent contributions was again significant in sampling by ships. The proposed explanation of the anticorrelation in error is underestimation of reference velocity by attenuation and overestimation of depth-dependent transport by attenuation of the velocity shear.

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