A simulation of the abyssal circulation in the North Pacific Ocean. Part I: flow field and comparison with observations

Abstract

The model covers the whole Pacific, has realistic coastal geometry and bottom topography, and is driven by the annual mean surface wind stress and the annual mean differential heating at the surface and the southern boundary. About 6.5 Sv of bottom water crosses the equator from the South to the North Pacific below 3500 m and rises there, with 2.8 Sv of the 6.5 Sv returning to the South Pacific in the layer between 1750 and 3250 m. The abyssal water below 1750 m is divided into three layers based on the large-scale horizontal circulation pattern. There is a general similarity between the simulation and observations, with some discrepancies, particularly in the equatorial regions. -from Author