TY - JOUR

T1 - Hydrodynamic Modeling of Vertical Velocities in the Lofoten Vortex

AU - Koldunov, A. V.

AU - Belonenko, T. V.

N1 - Funding Information: This study was financed by the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 18-17-00027). ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Publisher Copyright: © 2020, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/9/1

Y1 - 2020/9/1

N2 - Abstract: We analyze high-resolution hydrodynamic modeling data using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model (MITgcm), which is a numerical model designed for the study of the atmosphere, ocean, and climate. The focus of the research is the Lofoten Vortex of the Norwegian Sea. We study vertical velocities in the Lofoten Vortex using simulations of MITgcm. The zonal and meridional vertical cross sections of the vertical velocities demonstrate the increase in their values. We also study the seasonal and interannual variability of the vertical velocities in the Lofoten Vortex. The spatial distributions of vertical velocities in the upper layers (e.g. 95 m) of the Lofoten Vortex has a random character in winter (December–April). The values of the vertical velocities have opposite signs in adjacent cells, and vectors of the vertical velocities are directed in opposite directions. However, by summer, an ordered structure is formed that is characteristic of the rest of the year. At the lower horizons (e. g. 1000 m), the distribution of vertical velocities in winter and summer differs insignificantly. We establish that the vortex can be divided into four sectors with alternating directions of the vertical velocities at each horizon. The negative velocities are characteristic of the northeastern and southwestern sectors, with maximum values in the northeastern sector, and positive ones are characteristic of the southeastern and northwestern sectors. An analysis of the Lagrangian particles in the Lofoten Vortex shows that the particles in the upper layers (e. g. 200 m), rotate around the axis of the vortex, and have tendency at the same time to move to the surface, while this tendency is different in the lower layers (1000 m), where the particles can move both to the surface and in the opposite direction. Moreover, for all horizons, the particles, which are initially located in the central part of the vortex, move to the periphery of the vortex as the result of the rotation.

AB - Abstract: We analyze high-resolution hydrodynamic modeling data using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model (MITgcm), which is a numerical model designed for the study of the atmosphere, ocean, and climate. The focus of the research is the Lofoten Vortex of the Norwegian Sea. We study vertical velocities in the Lofoten Vortex using simulations of MITgcm. The zonal and meridional vertical cross sections of the vertical velocities demonstrate the increase in their values. We also study the seasonal and interannual variability of the vertical velocities in the Lofoten Vortex. The spatial distributions of vertical velocities in the upper layers (e.g. 95 m) of the Lofoten Vortex has a random character in winter (December–April). The values of the vertical velocities have opposite signs in adjacent cells, and vectors of the vertical velocities are directed in opposite directions. However, by summer, an ordered structure is formed that is characteristic of the rest of the year. At the lower horizons (e. g. 1000 m), the distribution of vertical velocities in winter and summer differs insignificantly. We establish that the vortex can be divided into four sectors with alternating directions of the vertical velocities at each horizon. The negative velocities are characteristic of the northeastern and southwestern sectors, with maximum values in the northeastern sector, and positive ones are characteristic of the southeastern and northwestern sectors. An analysis of the Lagrangian particles in the Lofoten Vortex shows that the particles in the upper layers (e. g. 200 m), rotate around the axis of the vortex, and have tendency at the same time to move to the surface, while this tendency is different in the lower layers (1000 m), where the particles can move both to the surface and in the opposite direction. Moreover, for all horizons, the particles, which are initially located in the central part of the vortex, move to the periphery of the vortex as the result of the rotation.

KW - Lofoten Vortex

KW - MITgcm

KW - Norwegian Sea

KW - vertical velocity

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85094200158&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1134/S0001433820040040

DO - 10.1134/S0001433820040040

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85094200158

VL - 56

SP - 502

EP - 511

JO - Izvestiya - Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics

JF - Izvestiya - Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics

SN - 0001-4338

IS - 5

ER -