Numerical Study of Eastern Boundary Ventilation and Its Effects on the Thermocline Structure

Abstract

Numerical experiments with idealized OGCM are carried out to investigate the oceanic eastern boundary problems. The experimental results indicate that the eastward flow due to the north?south gradient of the surface density returns to the interior region through the lower half of the mixed layer, and this return flow generates a density jump just above the thermocline. Formulation for the mixed layer depth distribution at the eastern boundary is also presented, which is derived only from the geostrophy and no-normal flow condition. This formulation agrees well with the numerical experiment, and can be an appropriate eastern boundary condition for theoretical ventilated thermocline model with no deficiency of the mass balance on the boundary. Furthermore, the effects of such eastern boundary structure on the subtropical thermocline are studied. On the shallow thermocline in the subtropics, eastern boundary ventilated region emerges, which is identified as a region of high potential vorticity. In the deep thermocline, which does not outcrop in the subtropics, a cross-gyre ventilation occurs. This cross-gyre ventilation is caused by the density structure along the eastern boundary.