Global Trends in Eddy Kinetic Energy from Satellite Altimetry

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• Chris O'Donnell (University of East Anglia)
• Wednesday 09 July 2014, 11:00-12:00
• British Antarctic Survey, Room 330B.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Dr Dan Jones.

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Altimeter-derived geostrophic surface velocities are used to compute an 18 year time series of eddy kinetic energy (EKE) on a near-global 1/3 degree grid. Linear trends are best-fit to the 18-year time series and their statistical significance assessed using bootstrap techniques. Near-global and hemispheric mean EKE trends are statistically insignificant. However, on a regional scale, statistically significant positive and negative trends are found in all of the major ocean basins. Widespread negative trends occur primarily in the sub-tropical regions of the North and South Pacific, with positive trends occurring in much of the north east Atlantic, the southern Indian Ocean off western Australia and in the Scotia Sea and Pacific-Antarctic Ridge regions of the Southern Ocean. In many locations the change in EKE during the 18 years is as much as 30% of the mean. For example, in the Subtropical Pacific, annual mean values have changed from 0.025 m2 s-2 in 1993 to 0.018 m2 s-2 in 2010. Trends in wind speed and wind stress curl indicate meteorological forcing is evident in some regions but not others. Statistically significant correlations between annual mean EKE and major modes of climate variability are evident in all the ocean basins.

This talk is part of the British Antarctic Survey - Polar Oceans seminar series series.

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