Climate variability inferred from a continuously stratified model of the ideal-fluid thermocline

Abstract

Climate variability in the subtropical gyre interior induced by anomalous surface thermal forcing, Ekman pumping, mixed layer depth variability, and anomalous subpolar water formation is examined, using a continuously stratified model of the ideal-fluid thermocline. Cooling (heating) induces a negative (positive) potential vorticity perturbation in the ventilated thermocline, and the associated density perturbations propagate downstream in the form of second and higher baroclinic modes. The second baroclinic mode resembles the traditional second baroclinic mode because it has a thermal structure with cooling (warming) in the upper thermocline and warming (cooling) in the lower thermocline. Anomalous Ekman pumping can also induce density perturbations that propagate westward in the form of the first baroclinic mode. In addition, if the outcrop lines are nonzonal, there are density perturbations that propagate downstream in the form of the second or third baroclinic modes. Perturbations in the sea surface elevation are mostly confined to the region of anomalous forcing. On the other hand, when the low potential vorticity anomaly in the subpolar mode water spreads into the subtropical basin, both the unventilated and ventilated thermocline move downward. Consequently, temperature at a given depth seems to increase.