Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

A seasonal signal in ocean currents to abyssal depths

Nature volume 295, pages 193–198 (1982)Cite this article

Abstract

Long-term (9–32 month) current meter records from the eastern North Atlantic (41°N–59°N) suggest that, remote from the influence of the Western Boundary Current, eddy kinetic energy (KE) at all depths is principally a function of wind stress and stratification, generated during the winter and early spring, propagating to abyssal depths and decaying to a minimum in late summer. Although this seasonal variation in KE has not previously been described from the midlatitude ocean, some theoretical basis for it is presented.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gould, W. J. & Cutler, A. N. ICES Hydrography Committee, CM 1980/C:30 (1980).

  2. Schmitz, W. J. Jr J. mar. Res. 32, 233–251 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Schmitz, W. J. Jr & Hogg, N. G. J. mar. Res. 36, 725–734 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Blackman, R. B. & Tukey, J. W. The Measurement of Power Spectra (Dover, 1959).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. Bingham, C., Godfrey, H. D. & Tukey, J. W. IEEE Trans. Audio-electroacoust. AU- 15, 56–66 (1967).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Heaps, N. S. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A257, 351–383 (1965).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  7. Gould, W. J. & Sambuco, E. Deep-Sea Res. 22, 55–62 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Dickson, R. R., Gurbutt, P. A. & Medler, K. J. J. mar. Res. 38, 571–583 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Dickson, R. R. in Eddies in Marine Science (ed. Robinson, A. R.) Ch. 15 (in the press).

  10. Philander, S. G. H. Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 16, 15–46 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Rhines, P. B. in The Sea: Ideas and Observations on Progress in the Study of the Seas Vol. 6, (ed. Goldberg. E. D.) Ch. 7 (Wiley, New York, 1977).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Anderson, D. L. T. & Killworth, P. D. Deep-Sea Res. 24, 709–732 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Koblinsky, C. J. & Niiler, P. P. J. phys. Oceanogr. (submitted).

  14. Madelain, F. & Kerut, E. G. Oceanol. Acta 1, 159–168 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Dickson, R. R. & Hughes, D. G. Oceanol. Acta 4, 43–46 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Swallow, J. C. Deep-Sea Res. Suppl. 16, 285–296 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Bernstein, R. L. & White, W. B. J. phys. Oceanogr. 7, 123–126 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Wyrtki, K., Magaard, L. & Hager, J. J. geophys. Res. 81, 2641–2646 (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, Directorate of Fisheries Research, Fisheries Laboratory, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0HT, UK

    R. R. Dickson & P. A. Gurbutt

  2. Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Wormley, Godalming, Surrey, GU8 5UB, UK

    W. J. Gould

  3. University of Cambridge, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Silver Street, Cambridge, CB3 9EW, UK

    P. D. Killworth

Authors
  1. R. R. Dickson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. W. J. Gould
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. A. Gurbutt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. P. D. Killworth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dickson, R., Gould, W., Gurbutt, P. et al. A seasonal signal in ocean currents to abyssal depths. Nature 295, 193–198 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/295193a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/295193a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing