2004 LOM Workshop

Tuesday 3:20 - 3:40 p.m.

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Characteristics of ventilation in ocean models

Kelvin Richards
IPRC/SOEST, University of Hawaii
rkelvin@hawaii.edu

ABSTRACT

The characteristics of ventilation of the thermocline is examined in models of the North Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The OGCM used in this study is MICOM, which maps comfortably onto conceptual models of the ventilation process. Both the pattern and rate of ventilation is found to be strongly dependent on the level of thickness diffusion in the model, with the sensitivity of the Atlantic being more than that of the Pacific. The results highlight the need for more consideration to be paid to the specification of lateral mixing in models used in climate studies. Comparison is made with the observed distribution of CFCs, demonstrating the difficulty in using such data to discriminate between ocean models.

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LOM Users' Workshop, February 9-11, 2004