Zheng, Qi, Bingham, Rory and Andrews, Oliver orcid.org/0000-0002-1921-475X (2023) Using Sea Level to Determine the Strength, Structure and Variability of the Cape Horn Current. Geophysical Research Letters. e2023GL105033. ISSN 0094-8276
Abstract
The Cape Horn Current (CHC) is one of the components of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current system that enables it to fulfill its crucial role as a conduit between ocean basins. Despite this, to-date there have been very few measurements of CHC strength and none continuous in time or space. Here, we use a combination of ocean models, one free-running and one data-assimilating, and satellite altimetry (1993–2021) to estimate the time-dependent strength of the CHC at 10 transects along its length. We find the time-mean CHC transport increases from 0.4 ± 0.5 Sv near 49°S to 5.3 ± 2.2 Sv at Cape Horn, with peak-to-peak interannual fluctuations of 0.8–3.4 Sv. Although, theoretically, increased run-off from a wasting Patagonian Ice-field would strengthen its flow, the CHC appears quite stable over the last 29 years, with little evidence of a coherent, long-term increase or decrease in the strength of the current.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023. The Authors. Funding Information: We would like to thank Dr. Andrew Coward of the National Oceanography Centre, UK for providing the NEMO data used in this study, and Dr. Chris Wilson and two anonymous reviewers for comments that help improve the manuscript. |
Keywords: | altimetry,Cape Horn Current,sea level,volume transport |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Environment and Geography (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 13 Nov 2023 15:20 |
Last Modified: | 16 Oct 2024 19:35 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105033 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1029/2023GL105033 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:205277 |
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Description: Geophysical Research Letters - 2023 - Zheng - Using Sea Level to Determine the Strength Structure and Variability of the
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