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www.ocean-sci-discuss.net/6/799/2009/
doi:10.5194/osd-6-799-2009
© Author(s) 2009. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
On the permeability of barrier layers
1IPSL/LOCEAN, UPMC/CNRS/IRD/MNHN, Paris, France
2Laboratoire d'Océanographie Spatiale, IFREMER, centre de Brest, France
3School of Chemistry, Physics and Earth Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
Abstract. We present a revisited 2-degree resolution global ocean climatology of monthly mean Barrier Layer Thickness (BLT) first proposed by de Boyer Montégut et al. (2007a). In addition to using an extended data set, we present a modified computation method in order to take into account the observed permeability of Barrier Layers (BL). We name permeability the fact that barrier layers can, in some areas, be very patchy regarding the space and time scales that are considered. This patchiness may have important consequences for the climatic impact of BLs. Differences between the two computation methods are weak for robust BLs that are formed by large-scale processes. The former approach can however largely underestimate the thickness of short and/or localized barrier layers. This is especially the case for the ones formed by mesoscale mechanisms (under the ITCZ for example and along western boundary currents) and patchy barrier layers detected equatorward of the sea surface salinity subtropical maxima. Complete characterisation of regional BL dynamics therefore requires the description of BL robustness through the determination of both BLT and BL permeability.
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Citation: Mignot, J., de Boyer Montégut, C., and Tomczak, M.: On the permeability of barrier layers, Ocean Sci. Discuss., 6, 799-818, doi:10.5194/osd-6-799-2009, 2009. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
