The ocean is coupled to the atmosphere via heat and freshwater fluxes. Ocean processes that play a role in the flux of heat in the ocean and atmosphere are of primary concern in this age of global climate change. These fluxes can act to convert one water mass into another. For example if the rate of conversion varies, water masses then tend to either accumulate or deplete. Walin used this theory to study the relationship between water mass volume and its heat supply. Speer and Tziperman, utilizing Walin's principle, calculated the water mass formation rates in Eighteen Degree Mode Water using climatological data. They report a formation rate of 15-20 Sverdrups. Here, Walin's theory and equations are also used, but mixing is neglected and only the air-sea heat flux is accounted for. The formation rate is calculated between two isotherms using the MITgcm data, averaged over various time scales. It is hoped that the values will be able to help explain the unusually large values obtained by Tziperman and Speer. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Oceanography in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Spring Semester, 2008. / April 1, 2008. / Water Mass, Mode Water, Water Formation, MITgcm / Includes bibliographical references. / William Dewar, Professor Co-Directing Thesis; Kevin Speer, Professor Co-Directing Thesis; Jeff Chanton, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_181148 |
| Contributors | Byrd, Allison (authoraut), Dewar, William (professor co-directing thesis), Speer, Kevin (professor co-directing thesis), Chanton, Jeff (committee member), Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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