{"id":{"repo_id":"heid-thes","oai_identifier":"oai:archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de:29351"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/heid-thes/oai:archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de:29351","repository":{"repo_id":"heid-thes","name":"Universität Heidelberg ; Thes","base_url":"http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/cgi/oai2"},"display":{"title":"On the Impact of Submesoscale Fronts on Mesoscale Eddies and Biological Productivity in the California Current System","abstract":"Submesoscale motions are often not resolved in numerical models, although recent studies suggest that they interact with mesoscale processes. This might be particularly relevant for regions like the California Current System (CCS) where mesoscale processes redistribute nutrients and organic matter to offshore regions. In this study, the impact of submesoscale fronts on mesoscale eddies and biological productivity is examined by comparing two models of the CCS with different horizontal resolutions: a conventional (7.0 km) and a front-permitting resolution (2.8 km). A novel detection algorithm was developed which allows quantifying the area covered by submesoscale fronts. The algorithm reveals that fronts occur more often in anticyclones than in cyclones. This results in a weakening of the density anomaly associated with anticyclones by 40% during winter for the increased resolution. Further, the energy cascade of mesoscale eddies is better resolved contributing to the seasonal evolution of eddy kinetic energy. Finally, the biological productive band at the coast broadens, presumably driven by enhanced lateral transport of nutrients. The results demonstrate that submesoscale and mesoscale motions are inextricably linked and that regional numerical models should aim to resolve submesoscale fronts for future studies.","abstract_html":"Submesoscale motions are often not resolved in numerical models, although recent studies suggest that they interact with mesoscale processes. This might be particularly relevant for regions like the California Current System (CCS) where mesoscale processes redistribute nutrients and organic matter to offshore regions. In this study, the impact of submesoscale fronts on mesoscale eddies and biological productivity is examined by comparing two models of the CCS with different horizontal resolutions: a conventional (7.0 km) and a front-permitting resolution (2.8 km). A novel detection algorithm was developed which allows quantifying the area covered by submesoscale fronts. The algorithm reveals that fronts occur more often in anticyclones than in cyclones. This results in a weakening of the density anomaly associated with anticyclones by 40% during winter for the increased resolution. Further, the energy cascade of mesoscale eddies is better resolved contributing to the seasonal evolution of eddy kinetic energy. Finally, the biological productive band at the coast broadens, presumably driven by enhanced lateral transport of nutrients. The results demonstrate that submesoscale and mesoscale motions are inextricably linked and that regional numerical models should aim to resolve submesoscale fronts for future studies.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Simon, Max"],"institution":"Universität Heidelberg","degree_name":null,"degree_level":"master","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Frank, Norbert"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-12-18","date_published":"2020-12-18","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:31:02Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/29351","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"source_url"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Frank, Norbert"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Simon, Max"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["masterThesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["master"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Universität Heidelberg"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Submesoscale motions are often not resolved in numerical models, although recent studies suggest that they interact with mesoscale processes. This might be particularly relevant for regions like the California Current System (CCS) where mesoscale processes redistribute nutrients and organic matter to offshore regions. In this study, the impact of submesoscale fronts on mesoscale eddies and biological productivity is examined by comparing two models of the CCS with different horizontal resolutions: a conventional (7.0 km) and a front-permitting resolution (2.8 km). A novel detection algorithm was developed which allows quantifying the area covered by submesoscale fronts. The algorithm reveals that fronts occur more often in anticyclones than in cyclones. This results in a weakening of the density anomaly associated with anticyclones by 40% during winter for the increased resolution. Further, the energy cascade of mesoscale eddies is better resolved contributing to the seasonal evolution of eddy kinetic energy. Finally, the biological productive band at the coast broadens, presumably driven by enhanced lateral transport of nutrients. The results demonstrate that submesoscale and mesoscale motions are inextricably linked and that regional numerical models should aim to resolve submesoscale fronts for future studies.","Numerische Modelle lösen submesoskalige Prozesse häufig nicht auf, obwohl gezeigt wurde, dass sie auch mesoskalige Prozesse beeinflussen. Dies ist besonders in Regionen wie dem California Current System (CCS) relevant, da dort mesoskalige Prozesse am Transport von Nährstoffen und organischem Material in küstenferne Regionen beteiligt sind. In dieser Arbeit wird der Einfluss von submesoskaligen Fronten auf mesoskalige Eddies und biologische Produktivität untersucht, indem zwei Modelle des CCS mit unterschiedlicher horizontaler Auflösung verglichen werden: eine konventionelle (7.0km) und eine feine Auflösung (2.8km). Zudem wurde ein Erkennungsalgorithmus für submesoskalige Fronten entwickelt, der deren eingenommene Fläche ermittelt. Der Algorithmus zeigt auf, dass Fronten häufiger in Anticyclonen als in Cyclonen auftreten. Dies führt in der feineren Auflösung zu einer Abschwächung der Dichteanomalie in Anticyclonen von 40% im Winter. Zudem wird die Energiekaskade von mesoskaligen Eddies und damit auch die Saisonalität der eddy kinetic energy (EKE) besser aufgelöst. Außerdem verbreitert sich die biologisch produktive Zone an der Küste, vermutlich durch verstärkten lateralen Transport von Nährstoffen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, wie eng submesoskalige und mesoskalige Prozesse miteinander verbunden sind und dass regionale numerische Modelle submesoskalige Fronten für kommende Studien auflösen sollten."]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["On the Impact of Submesoscale Fronts on Mesoscale Eddies and Biological Productivity in the California Current System","Einfluss von Submesoskaligen Fronten auf Mesoskalige Eddies und Biologische Produktivität im Kalifornischen Strömungssystem"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Frank, Norbert"],"dc:creator":["Simon, Max"],"dc:description.abstract":["Submesoscale motions are often not resolved in numerical models, although recent studies suggest that they interact with mesoscale processes. This might be particularly relevant for regions like the California Current System (CCS) where mesoscale processes redistribute nutrients and organic matter to offshore regions. In this study, the impact of submesoscale fronts on mesoscale eddies and biological productivity is examined by comparing two models of the CCS with different horizontal resolutions: a conventional (7.0 km) and a front-permitting resolution (2.8 km). A novel detection algorithm was developed which allows quantifying the area covered by submesoscale fronts. The algorithm reveals that fronts occur more often in anticyclones than in cyclones. This results in a weakening of the density anomaly associated with anticyclones by 40% during winter for the increased resolution. Further, the energy cascade of mesoscale eddies is better resolved contributing to the seasonal evolution of eddy kinetic energy. Finally, the biological productive band at the coast broadens, presumably driven by enhanced lateral transport of nutrients. The results demonstrate that submesoscale and mesoscale motions are inextricably linked and that regional numerical models should aim to resolve submesoscale fronts for future studies.","Numerische Modelle lösen submesoskalige Prozesse häufig nicht auf, obwohl gezeigt wurde, dass sie auch mesoskalige Prozesse beeinflussen. Dies ist besonders in Regionen wie dem California Current System (CCS) relevant, da dort mesoskalige Prozesse am Transport von Nährstoffen und organischem Material in küstenferne Regionen beteiligt sind. In dieser Arbeit wird der Einfluss von submesoskaligen Fronten auf mesoskalige Eddies und biologische Produktivität untersucht, indem zwei Modelle des CCS mit unterschiedlicher horizontaler Auflösung verglichen werden: eine konventionelle (7.0km) und eine feine Auflösung (2.8km). Zudem wurde ein Erkennungsalgorithmus für submesoskalige Fronten entwickelt, der deren eingenommene Fläche ermittelt. Der Algorithmus zeigt auf, dass Fronten häufiger in Anticyclonen als in Cyclonen auftreten. Dies führt in der feineren Auflösung zu einer Abschwächung der Dichteanomalie in Anticyclonen von 40% im Winter. Zudem wird die Energiekaskade von mesoskaligen Eddies und damit auch die Saisonalität der eddy kinetic energy (EKE) besser aufgelöst. Außerdem verbreitert sich die biologisch produktive Zone an der Küste, vermutlich durch verstärkten lateralen Transport von Nährstoffen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, wie eng submesoskalige und mesoskalige Prozesse miteinander verbunden sind und dass regionale numerische Modelle submesoskalige Fronten für kommende Studien auflösen sollten."],"dc:format.medium":["application/pdf"],"dc:publisher":["Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg"],"dc:title":["On the Impact of Submesoscale Fronts on Mesoscale Eddies and Biological Productivity in the California Current System","Einfluss von Submesoskaligen Fronten auf Mesoskalige Eddies und Biologische Produktivität im Kalifornischen Strömungssystem"],"dc:type":["masterThesis"],"thesis:degree_level":["master"],"thesis:institution_name":["Universität Heidelberg"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:31:02Z"}