Summary
Grid point values of air pressure from 50 to 70°S and 0 to 70°W are used to show not only monthly and seasonal means of the atmospheric circulation but also its anomalies. A low pressure belt is situated at 65 to 70°S with strong westerly winds on its northern flank; additionally, southerly wind components produce a relatively cold climate in the Weddell Sea. The actual situation may deviate strongly from this pattern, and also individual months can differ considerably. The zonal and meridional flow show more or less irregular fluctuations with statistically significant periods of some months (3.5 and 8 months for the zonal component, and 5 months and 1 year for the meridional components at some longitudes). Periods longer than 1 year are very weak. A long-term trend cannot be detected.
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© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Kaufeld, L. (1988). Variability of the Atmospheric Circulation over the Drake Passage, Scotia Sea and Weddell Sea. In: Sahrhage, D. (eds) Antarctic Ocean and Resources Variability. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73724-4_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73724-4_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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