On the world ocean circulation. Volume I, some global features/North Atlantic circulation

Abstract

This is the first volume of a "final report" that summarizes, often in a speculative vein, what I have learned over the past 35 years or so about large-scale, low-frequency ocean currents, primarily with support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR). I was also fortunate to have been partially supported by the National Science Foundation and, during the preparation of this report, by the Clark Foundation. This report is meant to be an informal, occasionally anecdotal, state-of-the-art summary account of the World Ocean Circulation (WOC). Seemingly simple questions about how ocean currents behave, such as where various brands of sea water are coming from and going to, have been exciting and difficult research topics for many years. This report is not remotely about "all" of the WOC, it is simply a set of comments about what I have looked into. I believe that the results in this report, although presented in a personal way, are consistent with community wisdom. The report is intended to be readable by non-specialists who have a basic scientific/technical background, especially in other oceanographic areas or meteorology or physics or the geophysical disciplines, not just by specialists in physical oceanography. Anyone wishing to get spun up on the observational basis for the WOC could use this report and associated reference lists as a starting point. Volume I concentrates on the North Atlantic Ocean although there is preliminary discussion of global features. Highlights of this global summary are a new type of composite schematic picture of the World Ocean Circulation in its "upper layers" (Figure I-I) and new summaries (Figures 1-12, 21,91) of the global "thermohaline" circulation.