Defining the spicity
Citable URI
https://hdl.handle.net/1912/5141As published
https://doi.org/10.1357/002224011799849390DOI
10.1357/002224011799849390Abstract
Spicity is defined as a thermodynamic variable whose isopleths are 'perpendicular“ to those of density in the (T, S) diagram. A new set of Matlab codes are defined based on the following criteria: First, the isopleths of spicity should be orthogonal to those of density. Second, the ocean is vertically separated into many pressure levels, and the zero point of spicity is set for the water mass with the mean salinity and temperature at each pressure level. This new definition of spicity can provide more accurate information of the water mass properties for the study of thermohaline perturbations.
Description
Author Posting. © Sears Foundation for Marine Research, 2011. This article is posted here by permission of Sears Foundation for Marine Research for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Marine Research 69 (2011): 545-559, doi:10.1357/002224011799849390.