HR: 16:50h
AN: OS24A-03    [Abstracts]
TI: The Role of the Eddies in the Brazil-Malvinas Frontal System: a Numerical Study
AU: * Capet, X J
EM: capet@atmos.ucla.edu
AF: University of Sao Paulo, Pca. do Oceanografico, 191, Sao Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil
AU: Campos, E J
EM: edmo@io.usp.br
AF: University of Sao Paulo, Pca. do Oceanografico, 191, Sao Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil
AU: Paiva, A
EM: mpaiva@peno.coppe.ufrj.br
AF: COPPE, University of Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68508, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21945-970, Brazil
AB: The eddy rich Brazil-Malvinas Frontal System (BMFS) is a region where significant water mass subduction and transformation is taking place and mesoscale activity is known to have an important role in the rate at which these processes occur. An eddy-resolving (10km) multi-year solution for the South Western Atlantic is presented. Its eddy kinetic energy level and Brazil-malvinas confluence seasonal cycle are realistic in regard to altimetric observations. In this context the solution is analyzed for its upper ocean heat balance. The eddies are shown to affect the heat budget in two different ways: through quasi-horizontal eddy fluxes that redistribute heat across the BMFS as a consequence of its baroclinic instability; through vertical eddy fluxes associated with secondary circulations around fronts that are actively strained. While the former are adequately resolved with a 10km mesh grid size, the latter strongly increase with horizontal resolution as revealed by a sensitivity study. Implications for the water mass subduction/transformation are discussed.
DE: 4520 Eddies and mesoscale processes
DE: 4528 Fronts and jets
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly