Oceanography Seminar

August 30, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Mānoa Campus, MSB 114 Add to Calendar

“Oceanic Variability from Mesoscale to Submesoscale”

presented by

Bo Qiu, Professor, Dept. of Oceanography

This presentation focuses on the mesoscale (>150km in wavelength) versus submesoscale variability (10-150km) in the subtropical circulation of the North Pacific Ocean. First, we analyze the AVISO satellite altimetry product, the repeat ship-board ADCP data and output from a 1/30-deg high-resolution OGCM simulation to contrast the seasonal Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC) variability in the mesoscale-submesoscale ranges. Importance of mesoscale and submesoscale variability in controlling, respectively, the horizontal and vertical circulation, is emphasized. Utilizing the theoretical framework of effective surface quasi-geostrophic (eSQG) dynamics, we explore next the potential of reconstructing the 3D upper ocean circulation features, including the vertical velocity field, from high-resolution sea surface height (SSH) data. Challenges of disentangling the SSH signals associated with the balanced versus unbalanced motions will be raised.


Event Sponsor
Dept. of Oceanography, Mānoa Campus

More Information
(808) 956-7633, http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/oceanography/index.html, OCN Seminar 8.30.18 Flyer (PDF)

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