Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

About: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a nonprofit organization based out in Falmouth, Massachusetts, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Mantle (geology). The organization has 5685 authors who have published 18396 publications receiving 1202050 citations. The organization is also known as: WHOI.

A review of global ocean temperature observations: Implications for ocean heat content estimates and climate change

Abstract: The evolution of ocean temperature measurement systems is presented with a focus on the development and accuracy of two critical devices in use today (expendable bathythermographs and conductivity-temperature-depth instruments used on Argo floats). A detailed discussion of the accuracy of these devices and a projection of the future of ocean temperature measurements are provided. The accuracy of ocean temperature measurements is discussed in detail in the context of ocean heat content, Earth's energy imbalance, and thermosteric sea level rise. Up-to-date estimates are provided for these three important quantities. The total energy imbalance at the top of atmosphere is best assessed by taking an inventory of changes in energy storage. The main storage is in the ocean, the latest values of which are presented. Furthermore, despite differences in measurement methods and analysis techniques, multiple studies show that there has been a multidecadal increase in the heat content of both the upper and deep ocean regions, which reflects the impact of anthropogenic warming. With respect to sea level rise, mutually reinforcing information from tide gauges and radar altimetry shows that presently, sea level is rising at approximately 3 mm yr-1 with contributions from both thermal expansion and mass accumulation from ice melt. The latest data for thermal expansion sea level rise are included here and analyzed. Key Points Oceanographic techniques and analysis have improved over many decadesThese improvements allow more accurate Earth-energy balance estimatesUnderstanding of ocean heat content and sea-level rise has also increased ©2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Obliquity pacing of the late Pleistocene glacial terminations

Abstract: The 100,000-year timescale in the glacial/interglacial cycles of the late Pleistocene epoch (the past ∼700,000 years) is commonly attributed to control by variations in the Earth's orbit1. This hypothesis has inspired models that depend on the Earth's obliquity (∼ 40,000 yr; ∼40 kyr), orbital eccentricity (∼ 100 kyr) and precessional (∼ 20 kyr) fluctuations2,3,4,5, with the emphasis usually on eccentricity and precessional forcing. According to a contrasting hypothesis, the glacial cycles arise primarily because of random internal climate variability6,7,8. Taking these two perspectives together, there are currently more than thirty different models of the seven late-Pleistocene glacial cycles9. Here we present a statistical test of the orbital forcing hypothesis, focusing on the rapid deglaciation events known as terminations10,11. According to our analysis, the null hypothesis that glacial terminations are independent of obliquity can be rejected at the 5% significance level, whereas the corresponding null hypotheses for eccentricity and precession cannot be rejected. The simplest inference consistent with the test results is that the ice sheets terminated every second or third obliquity cycle at times of high obliquity, similar to the original proposal by Milankovitch12. We also present simple stochastic and deterministic models that describe the timing of the late-Pleistocene glacial terminations purely in terms of obliquity forcing.

A study of non-linear tidal propagation in shallow inlet/estuarine systems Part I: Observations☆

Abstract: The offshore tide becomes strongly distorted as it propagates into shallow estuarine systems. Observations of sea surface elevation and horizontal currents over periods ranging from three days to one year, at nine stations within Nauset inlet/estuary, document the non-linear interaction of the off-shore equilibrium tidal constituents. Despite strong frictional attenuation within the estuary, the overtides and compound tides of M2, S2 and N2, in particular, reach significant amplitude, resulting in strong tidal distortion. High frequency forced constituents in sea surface are phase-locked, consistently leading the forcing tides by 60–70°, resulting in a persistent distortion where falling tide is longer than rising tide. Forced constituents in currents are more nearly in phase with equilibrium constituents, producing flood currents which are shorter but more intense than ebb currents. A compound fortnightly tide, MSf, modulates the mean water level such that lowest tides occur during neap phase instead of spring phase. This fortnightly tide can be contaminated by storm surge, changing the phase characteristics of this constituent. Implications of the overtides, compound tides, and lower frequency tides on near-bed, suspended and dissolved material transport are profound.