Variability of zooplankton and sea surface temperature in the Southern Ocean

Interactions between physical and biological processes in the Southern Ocean have significant impacts on local ecosystems as well as on global climate. In this thesis, I present evidence that the Southern Ocean circulation affects the variability of zooplankton and sea surface temperature, both of which are involved in air-sea exchanges of carbon dioxide. First, I examine the formation of spatial patterns in the distribution of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) resulting from social behavior. Turbulence of the flow is found to provide favorable conditions for the evolution social behavior in an idealized biological-physical model. Second, I analyze observations of sea surface temperature variability in the region of the Antarctic circumpolar current. Results suggest that propagating anomalies can be explained as a linear response to local atmospheric forcing by the Southern Annular Mode and remote forcing by El-Nifio southern oscillation, in the presence of advection by a mean flow.

Department dc:contributor.department

Joint Program in Physical Oceanography

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Verdy, Ariane

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Glenn R. Flierl.

• Joint Program in Physical Oceanography.
• Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/39197

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/39197