Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

1997

Department

Oceanography

Abstract

The balance of potential vorticity components following fluid parcel motion in Gulf Stream meanders was studied using RAFOS float data from the SYNOP Experiment. By introducing curvature dependent variations to the velocity and density fields, the authors relaxed the rigid field assumption used in earlier studies and examined closely 61 floats in the upper layers (13°–16°C) of the main thermocline. Float trajectories were segmented according to transition from crest to trough and trough to crest, and grouped by their positions relative to the current center. A total of 154 segments were collected to estimate the horizontal divergence and the mean lateral displacement of parcels under two distinct regimes: growing and decaying meanders.

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