Enhanced Ventilation in Energetic Regions of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Abstract

AbstractFlow‐topography interactions along the path of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current generate standing meanders, create regions of enhanced eddy kinetic energy (EKE), and modify frontal structure. We consider the impact of standing meanders on ventilation based on oxygen measurements from Argo floats and the patterns of apparent oxygen utilization (AOU). Regions of high‐EKE have relatively reduced AOU values at depths 200–700 m below the base of the mixed layer and larger AOU variance, suggesting enhanced ventilation due to both along‐isopycnal stirring and enhanced exchange across the base of the mixed layer. Vertical exchange is inferred from finite‐size Lyapunov exponents, a proxy for the magnitude of surface lateral density gradients, which suggest that submesoscale vertical velocities may contribute to ventilation. The shaping of ventilation by standing meanders has implications for the temporal and spatial variability of air‒sea exchange.