Matthias Tomczak | Flinders University of South Australia (original) (raw)
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique / French National Centre for Scientific Research
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Papers by Matthias Tomczak
Deutsche Hydrographische Zeitschrift, 1969
ABSTRACT
Journal of Physical Oceanography
Complete Citation: Ribbe, Joachim and Tomczak, Matthias (1996). Some indications of a reversed su... more Complete Citation: Ribbe, Joachim and Tomczak, Matthias (1996). Some indications of a reversed surface flow around Tasmania in the Fine Resolution Antarctic Model -FRAM. Ocean Modelling (newletter format -forerunner to the Elsevier journal Ocean Modelling), 111, 2-5. ISSN 1463-5003. Accessed from USQ ePrints http://eprints.usq.edu.au ______________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT South of Tasmania, the Fine Resolution Antarctic Model (FRAM) shows a narrow band of westward upper layer flow. We argue that this is caused by the closure of the Indonesian passage in FRAM. This is supported by numerical experiments carried out by Hirst & Godfrey (1993). The FRAM surface temperature and salinity distribution exhibits distinct anomalies in the southeast Indian Ocean, in good agreement with anomalies observed in the Hirst & Godfrey (1993) model. Indonesian Throughflow water advects heat into the Indian Ocean; its absence in FRAM results in a lack of thermal energy to warm the Indian Ocean in the model. The surface salinity anomaly is most likely caused by an over-estimated Ekman transport. The weakened heat and salinity transport in FRAM restrict surface convection in the mid-latitude region to approximately 350 m.
Ocean Science Discussions, 2006
Ocean Science Discussions, 2009
Oceanography, 2004
Learning is a lifelong process, but it's form changes as we move from being educated to beco... more Learning is a lifelong process, but it's form changes as we move from being educated to becoming educators and researchers ourselves. There comes a point in the process when we have gained reasonable insight into the state of our branch of science. We have read ...
Ocean Science, 2009
Barrier layers are defined as the layer between the pycnocline and the thermocline when the latte... more Barrier layers are defined as the layer between the pycnocline and the thermocline when the latter are different as a result of salinity stratification. We present a revisited 2-degree resolution global climatology of monthly mean oceanic Barrier Layer (BL) thickness first proposed by . In addition to using an extended data set, we present a modified computation method that addresses the observed porosity of BLs. We name porosity the fact that barrier layers distribution can, in some areas, be very uneven regarding the space and time scales that are considered. This implies an intermittent alteration of air-sea exchanges by the BL. Therefore, it may have important consequences for the climatic impact of BLs. Differences between the two computation methods are small for robust BLs that are formed by large-scale processes. However, the former approach can significantly underestimate the thickness of short and/or localized barrier layers. This is especially the case for barrier layers formed by mesoscale mechanisms (under the intertropical convergence zone for example and along western boundary currents) and equatorward of the sea surface salinity subtropical maxima. Complete characterisation of regional BL dynamics therefore requires a description of the robustness of BL distribution to assess the overall impact of BLs on the process of heat exchange between the ocean interior and the atmosphere.
Deutsche Hydrographische Zeitschrift, 1969
ABSTRACT
Journal of Physical Oceanography
Complete Citation: Ribbe, Joachim and Tomczak, Matthias (1996). Some indications of a reversed su... more Complete Citation: Ribbe, Joachim and Tomczak, Matthias (1996). Some indications of a reversed surface flow around Tasmania in the Fine Resolution Antarctic Model -FRAM. Ocean Modelling (newletter format -forerunner to the Elsevier journal Ocean Modelling), 111, 2-5. ISSN 1463-5003. Accessed from USQ ePrints http://eprints.usq.edu.au ______________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT South of Tasmania, the Fine Resolution Antarctic Model (FRAM) shows a narrow band of westward upper layer flow. We argue that this is caused by the closure of the Indonesian passage in FRAM. This is supported by numerical experiments carried out by Hirst & Godfrey (1993). The FRAM surface temperature and salinity distribution exhibits distinct anomalies in the southeast Indian Ocean, in good agreement with anomalies observed in the Hirst & Godfrey (1993) model. Indonesian Throughflow water advects heat into the Indian Ocean; its absence in FRAM results in a lack of thermal energy to warm the Indian Ocean in the model. The surface salinity anomaly is most likely caused by an over-estimated Ekman transport. The weakened heat and salinity transport in FRAM restrict surface convection in the mid-latitude region to approximately 350 m.
Ocean Science Discussions, 2006
Ocean Science Discussions, 2009
Oceanography, 2004
Learning is a lifelong process, but it's form changes as we move from being educated to beco... more Learning is a lifelong process, but it's form changes as we move from being educated to becoming educators and researchers ourselves. There comes a point in the process when we have gained reasonable insight into the state of our branch of science. We have read ...
Ocean Science, 2009
Barrier layers are defined as the layer between the pycnocline and the thermocline when the latte... more Barrier layers are defined as the layer between the pycnocline and the thermocline when the latter are different as a result of salinity stratification. We present a revisited 2-degree resolution global climatology of monthly mean oceanic Barrier Layer (BL) thickness first proposed by . In addition to using an extended data set, we present a modified computation method that addresses the observed porosity of BLs. We name porosity the fact that barrier layers distribution can, in some areas, be very uneven regarding the space and time scales that are considered. This implies an intermittent alteration of air-sea exchanges by the BL. Therefore, it may have important consequences for the climatic impact of BLs. Differences between the two computation methods are small for robust BLs that are formed by large-scale processes. However, the former approach can significantly underestimate the thickness of short and/or localized barrier layers. This is especially the case for barrier layers formed by mesoscale mechanisms (under the intertropical convergence zone for example and along western boundary currents) and equatorward of the sea surface salinity subtropical maxima. Complete characterisation of regional BL dynamics therefore requires a description of the robustness of BL distribution to assess the overall impact of BLs on the process of heat exchange between the ocean interior and the atmosphere.