Marine Science Faculty Publications
Diagnosis of Large-Scale, Low-Frequency Sea Level Variability in the Northeast Pacific Ocean
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2021
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016682
Abstract
Earlier studies in the Northeast Pacific (NEP) suggest that the local and remote sea level responses are important for the large-scale, low-frequency sea level variability, but the relative importance of the two processes remains unclear. In this study, we develop a novel sea level model driven by wind, buoyancy and eddy forcing to examine their relative roles in the NEP. Based on the new model, a diagnostic equation for sea level that is an alternative to the conventional method of characteristics is formed. The wind, buoyancy and eddy forcing account for the sea level variability in different regions. Sea level variability is primarily controlled by the wind forcing in the central to the northeast of the NEP, by the local buoyancy forcing in the southeast region between 210°E and 230°E, and by the eddy forcing in the southwest of the NEP. In addition, the diagnosis demonstrates that the local sea level response is more important than the remote response over most of the NEP, while the remote sea level response could play an important role in the southwest portion of the NEP.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, v. 126, issue 5, art. e2020JC016682
Scholar Commons Citation
Zhu, Yingli; Mitchum, Gary T.; Thompson, Philip R.; and Lagerloef, Gary S.E., "Diagnosis of Large-Scale, Low-Frequency Sea Level Variability in the Northeast Pacific Ocean" (2021). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 2065.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/2065
