Estimates of the Southern Ocean general circulation improved by animal‐borne instruments

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  • Fabien Roquet
    Department of Meteorology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
  • Carl Wunsch
    Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts USA
  • Gael Forget
    Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge Massachusetts USA
  • Patrick Heimbach
    Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge Massachusetts USA
  • Christophe Guinet
    Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Villiers en Bois France
  • Gilles Reverdin
    Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat: Expérimentation et Approches Numériques Paris France
  • Jean‐Benoit Charrassin
    Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat: Expérimentation et Approches Numériques Paris France
  • Frederic Bailleul
    Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Villiers en Bois France
  • Daniel P. Costa
    Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz California USA
  • Luis A. Huckstadt
    Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz California USA
  • Kimberly T. Goetz
    Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz California USA
  • Kit M. Kovacs
    Norwegian Polar Institute Tromsø Norway
  • Christian Lydersen
    Norwegian Polar Institute Tromsø Norway
  • Martin Biuw
    Norwegian Polar Institute Tromsø Norway
  • Ole A. Nøst
    Norwegian Polar Institute Tromsø Norway
  • Horst Bornemann
    Alfred‐Wegener‐Institut, Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar‐ und Meeresforschung Bremerhaven Germany
  • Joachim Ploetz
    Alfred‐Wegener‐Institut, Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar‐ und Meeresforschung Bremerhaven Germany
  • Marthan N. Bester
    Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
  • Trevor McIntyre
    Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
  • Monica C. Muelbert
    Instituto de Oceanografia Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Porto Alegre Brazil
  • Mark A. Hindell
    Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
  • Clive R. McMahon
    Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
  • Guy Williams
    Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
  • Robert Harcourt
    Marine Predator Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
  • Iain C. Field
    Marine Predator Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
  • Leon Chafik
    Department of Meteorology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
  • Keith W. Nicholls
    British Antarctic Survey Natural Environment Research Council Cambridge UK
  • Lars Boehme
    Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
  • Mike A. Fedak
    Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews St Andrews UK

Description

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Over the last decade, several hundred seals have been equipped with conductivity‐temperature‐depth sensors in the Southern Ocean for both biological and physical oceanographic studies. A calibrated collection of seal‐derived hydrographic data is now available, consisting of more than 165,000 profiles. The value of these hydrographic data within the existing Southern Ocean observing system is demonstrated herein by conducting two state estimation experiments, differing only in the use or not of seal data to constrain the system. Including seal‐derived data substantially modifies the estimated surface mixed‐layer properties and circulation patterns within and south of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Agreement with independent satellite observations of sea ice concentration is improved, especially along the East Antarctic shelf. Instrumented animals efficiently reduce a critical observational gap, and their contribution to monitoring polar climate variability will continue to grow as data accuracy and spatial coverage increase.</jats:p>

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