Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-788
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-788
29 Aug 2022
 | 29 Aug 2022

Improving the thermocline calculation over the global ocean

Emmanuel Romero, Leonardo Tenorio-Fernandez, Esther Portela, Jorge Montes-Aréchiga, and Laura Sánchez-Velasco

Abstract. According to the typical thermal structure of the ocean, the water column can be divided into three layers: the mixing layer, the thermocline and the deep layer. In this study, we provide a new methodology, based on a function adjustment on the temperature profile, to locate the minimum and maximum depths of the thermocline, and therefore its thickness, to separate the water column into layers. We first validated our methodology by comparing the mixed layer depth obtained with the method proposed here with that of two previous studies. Since we found a very good agreement between the three methods we used the function adjustment to compute the monthly climatologies of the mixed layer depth, the maximum depth of the thermocline and the thermocline thickness, throughout the ocean. We also provide an assessment of the regions of the ocean where our adjustment is valid, and consequently the regions where the thermal structure of the ocean follows the three-layer structure. However, there are ocean regions where the water column cannot be separated into three layers due to the dynamic processes that alter it and the major contribution of salinity to stratification. This assessment highlights the limitations of the existing methods to accurately determine the mixed layer depth and the thermocline in oceanic regions that are particularly turbulent as the Southern Ocean and the northern North Atlantic, among others. The method proposed here has shown to be robust and easy to apply, and it can be used in both local and global studies.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

22 Jun 2023
Improving the thermocline calculation over the global ocean
Emmanuel Romero, Leonardo Tenorio-Fernandez, Esther Portela, Jorge Montes-Aréchiga, and Laura Sánchez-Velasco
Ocean Sci., 19, 887–901, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-887-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-887-2023, 2023
Short summary
Emmanuel Romero, Leonardo Tenorio-Fernandez, Esther Portela, Jorge Montes-Aréchiga, and Laura Sánchez-Velasco

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-788', Anonymous Referee #1, 29 Nov 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-788', Anonymous Referee #2, 01 Feb 2023
    • AC4: 'Reply on RC2', Leonardo Tenorio-Fernandez, 02 Mar 2023

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-788', Anonymous Referee #1, 29 Nov 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-788', Anonymous Referee #2, 01 Feb 2023
    • AC4: 'Reply on RC2', Leonardo Tenorio-Fernandez, 02 Mar 2023

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
AR by Leonardo Tenorio-Fernandez on behalf of the Authors (02 Mar 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (03 Mar 2023) by A.J. George Nurser
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (17 Mar 2023)
RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (19 Apr 2023)
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (20 Apr 2023) by A.J. George Nurser
AR by Leonardo Tenorio-Fernandez on behalf of the Authors (22 Apr 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (24 Apr 2023) by A.J. George Nurser
AR by Leonardo Tenorio-Fernandez on behalf of the Authors (28 Apr 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (28 Apr 2023) by A.J. George Nurser
AR by Leonardo Tenorio-Fernandez on behalf of the Authors (01 May 2023)  Author's response   Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

22 Jun 2023
Improving the thermocline calculation over the global ocean
Emmanuel Romero, Leonardo Tenorio-Fernandez, Esther Portela, Jorge Montes-Aréchiga, and Laura Sánchez-Velasco
Ocean Sci., 19, 887–901, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-887-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-887-2023, 2023
Short summary
Emmanuel Romero, Leonardo Tenorio-Fernandez, Esther Portela, Jorge Montes-Aréchiga, and Laura Sánchez-Velasco
Emmanuel Romero, Leonardo Tenorio-Fernandez, Esther Portela, Jorge Montes-Aréchiga, and Laura Sánchez-Velasco

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Short summary
We provide a new methodology based on a function fit to locate the thermocline over the global ocean. Using this methodology, global monthly climatologies of mixed layer depth, maximum thermocline depth, and thermocline thickness were calculated from Argo data. Our method reveals the limitations of existing methods to accurately locate the mixed layer depth in turbulent oceanic regions.