アブストラクト |
The Southern Ocean plays a key role in the global climate as a place where bottom water are formed and deep water are returned to the surface. Because of the absence of meridional boundaries, the Southern Ocean is also regulated by a specific dynamics where mesoscale eddies are critical. I will discuss the dynamics of the Southern Ocean, the concept of “eddy-compensation” (the insensitivity of the Southern Ocean to changes in wind) and the limitations of eddy parameterizations used in climate models. I will then describe recent work on the impact of the ozone hole on the Southern ocean and Antarctic sea ice, and connections with climate change. |