Abstract
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is an important and integral part of the global ocean conveyor belt that connects the major ocean basins. Coarse resolution global climate models therefore need a realistic simulation of the ACC in order to correctly transport anomalies of heat and freshwater or geochemical tracers throughout the world ocean. The intrinsic dynamics of the ACC are dominated by the action and effects of the mesoscale eddy field, which cannot be resolved explicitly in climate models. It is therefore necessary to include the eddy field via parametrization of the subgrid scale effects. In this paper we will discuss the sources and sinks of momentum that are involved in the dynamical balance of the ACC, the dominant role the eddy field plays in the momentum and heat balance of the Southern Ocean and give an account of recent attempts to parametrize the effect of the eddy field on the large scale circulation for use in coarse resolution climate models.
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