On the multiple-cell thermohaline circulation
The classic Stommel (1961) model of thermohaline circulation has predicted the existence of two modes of ocean motion for the pole-equator system. These are, one-cell thermal and one-cell saline modes. In contrast, the laboratory experiments conducted recently to duplicate this conceptual model have...
| Autores: | , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2009 |
| País: | México |
| Institución: | UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO |
| Repositorio: | Atmósfera |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/8526 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://www.revistascca.unam.mx/atm/index.php/atm/article/view/8526 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Thermohaline circulation theoretical and laboratory modelling THERMOHALINE CIRCULATION THEORETICAL AND LABORATORY MODELLING |
| Sumario: | The classic Stommel (1961) model of thermohaline circulation has predicted the existence of two modes of ocean motion for the pole-equator system. These are, one-cell thermal and one-cell saline modes. In contrast, the laboratory experiments conducted recently to duplicate this conceptual model have found three steady states in the control space of the model parameters: a two-layer thermal mode, a two-layer saline mode, and a three-layer hybrid state. A two-dimensional theoretical model is applied to investigate the multiple-cell formation. The lowest order solution is analysed using an expansion method and suggesting the aspect ratio as a small parameter. It is shown that asymmetry of vertical distribution between temperature and salinity is responsible for forming the multiple-cell thermohaline circulation. |
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