THE UDINTSEV FRACTURE ZONE EXPERIMENT:A STUDY FOR POLEWARD HEAT FLUX AND ACC VARIABILITY

Abstract

The Udintsev Fracture Zone (UFZ) located at the boundary between the Pacific Antarctic Ridge and Eastern Pacific Rise is a narrow choke point of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). An ocean experiment to obtain time series data in the UFZ is planned as an international collaboration project. The project aims to address climate-relevant subjects such as the mechanism of the poleward oceanic heat flux and the ACC variability using in situ observations (current meters and inverted echo sounders moorings, surface floating buoys), altimetry, and numerical model outputs. It is designed to explore time series measurements via a Korea-France-USA collaboration, and to validate and use the global datasets from altimetry and the eddy-resolving, data assimilating model outputs for better documenting and monitoring the Southern Ocean heat budget and the ACC variability.UFZ is planned as an international collaboration project. The project aims to address climate-relevant subjects such as the mechanism of the poleward oceanic heat flux and the ACC variability using in situ observations (current meters and inverted echo sounders moorings, surface floating buoys), altimetry, and numerical model outputs. It is designed to explore time series measurements via a Korea-France-USA collaboration, and to validate and use the global datasets from altimetry and the eddy-resolving, data assimilating model outputs for better documenting and monitoring the Southern Ocean heat budget and the ACC variability.