Circulation in the Canary Basin: A model/data analysis

Abstract

The Canary Basin region of an eddy‐resolving, primitive equation model of the North Atlantic is studied in terms of its time mean fields, eddy variability, and role in three fundamental oceanic processes. The model calculation was carried out by Bryan and Holland as the first Community Modeling Effort of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment. Each of the major currents in the region is represented in the model fields. Several aspects of the large‐scale climatological density field which was used for initialization were improved by the dynamical model while other aspects were degraded. The major deficiencies in the model are the representation of the Mediterranean salt tongue and low values of the eddy kinetic energy. The difference in the model salt tongue is believed to be at least partially due to an insufficient treatment of the Mediterranean outflow. Several numerical parameterizations which may be partially responsible for the low eddy kinetic energy are suggested as topics for future study. The role of this region in the ventilation of the thermocline, meridional flux of temperature, and formation of the Mediterranean salt tongue is studied. In general, the model results compare well with the available data and, in some instances, suggest mechanisms for previously observed flow characteristics and possibly important phenomena which have not yet been observed. Final recommendations are made to both the modeling and observational communities for future activities in this region.