Iron sources and pathways into the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent

Pathways into the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent: A Trajectory Analysis

A time-dependent trajectory algorithm is used to determine the sources of the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) in a global climate model with 1/4 degree (eddypermitting) resolution and forced with realistic winds. The primary sources and pathways are identified and the transformation of properties in temperature/salinity space are explored. An estimate for the quantity of recirculation, a ...

From the western boundary currents to the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent: Modeled pathways and water mass evolutions

Internal Wave Generation in the Equatorial Undercurrent

The generation of internal waves in the equatorial undercurrent is studied using a large-eddy simulation (LES) model. The model is forced with a constant easterly windstress and diurnal heating and cooling. Internal waves are generated with typical horizontal wavelengths of about 250 m, consistent with observations and comparable to the wavelengths of the most unstable modes from linear instabi...

The Asymmetric Nature of the Equatorial Undercurrent in the Pacific and Atlantic*

The structure of the Equatorial Undercurrent in a two-hemisphere ocean is studied, using a simple ideal-fluid model in which both potential vorticity and the Bernoulli function are conserved along streamlines. For the case of a symmetric forcing, the solution is reduced to the case discussed in previous studies. For the case of asymmetric forcing, the western boundary current from the hemispher...

Iron sources and dissolved-particulate interactions in the seawater of the Western Equatorial Pacific, iron isotope perspectives

This work presents iron isotope data in the western equatorial Pacific. Marine aerosols and top core margin sediments display a slightly heavy Fe isotopic composition (δFe) of 0.33 ± 0.11‰ (2SD) and 0.14 ± 0.07‰, respectively. Samples reflecting the influence of Papua New Guinea runoff (Sepik River and Rabaul volcano water) are characterized by crustal values. In seawater, Fe is mainly supplied...