Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1484
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1484
05 Jan 2023
 | 05 Jan 2023

Unsupervised classification identifies coherent thermohaline structures in the Weddell Gyre region

Dan(i) Jones, Maike Sonnewald, Shenjie Zhou, Ute Hausmann, Andrew J. S. Meijers, Isabella Rosso, Lars Boehme, Michael P. Meredith, and Alberto C. Naveira Garabato

Abstract. The Weddell Gyre is a major feature of the Southern Ocean and an important component of the planetary climate system; it regulates air-sea exchanges, controls the formation of deep and bottom waters, and hosts upwelling of relatively warm subsurface waters. It is characterized by extremely low sea surface temperatures, ubiquitous sea ice formation, and widespread salt stratification that stabilises the water column. Observing the Weddell Gyre is challenging, as it is extremely remote and largely covered with sea ice. At present, it is one of the most poorly-sampled regions of the global ocean, highlighting the need to extract as much value as possible from existing observations. Here, we apply a profile classification model (PCM), which is an unsupervised classification technique, to a Weddell Gyre profile dataset to identify coherent regimes in temperature and salinity. We find that, despite not being given any positional information, the PCM identifies four spatially coherent thermohaline domains that can be described as follows: (1) a circumpolar class, (2) a transition region between the circumpolar waters and the Weddell Gyre, (3) a gyre edge class with northern and southern branches, and (4) a gyre core class. PCM highlights, in an objective and interpretable way, both expected and under-appreciated structures in the Weddell Gyre dataset. For instance, PCM identifies the inflow of Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) across the eastern boundary, the presence of the Weddell-Scotia Confluence waters, and structured spatial variability in mixing between Winter Water and CDW. PCM offers a useful complement to existing expertise-driven approaches for characterising the physical configuration and variability of the Weddell Gyre and surrounding regions.

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

22 Jun 2023
Unsupervised classification identifies coherent thermohaline structures in the Weddell Gyre region
Dani C. Jones, Maike Sonnewald, Shenjie Zhou, Ute Hausmann, Andrew J. S. Meijers, Isabella Rosso, Lars Boehme, Michael P. Meredith, and Alberto C. Naveira Garabato
Ocean Sci., 19, 857–885, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-857-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-857-2023, 2023
Short summary

Dan(i) Jones et al.

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1484', Anonymous Referee #1, 02 Feb 2023
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Dan(i) Jones, 05 Apr 2023
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC1: Revised profile distribution plot', Dani Jones, 25 Apr 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1484', Anonymous Referee #2, 03 Mar 2023
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Dan(i) Jones, 05 Apr 2023

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1484', Anonymous Referee #1, 02 Feb 2023
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Dan(i) Jones, 05 Apr 2023
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC1: Revised profile distribution plot', Dani Jones, 25 Apr 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1484', Anonymous Referee #2, 03 Mar 2023
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Dan(i) Jones, 05 Apr 2023

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
AR by Dani Jones on behalf of the Authors (05 Apr 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (18 Apr 2023) by Markus Janout
AR by Dani Jones on behalf of the Authors (27 Apr 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (05 May 2023) by Markus Janout
AR by Dani Jones on behalf of the Authors (05 May 2023)  Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

22 Jun 2023
Unsupervised classification identifies coherent thermohaline structures in the Weddell Gyre region
Dani C. Jones, Maike Sonnewald, Shenjie Zhou, Ute Hausmann, Andrew J. S. Meijers, Isabella Rosso, Lars Boehme, Michael P. Meredith, and Alberto C. Naveira Garabato
Ocean Sci., 19, 857–885, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-857-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-857-2023, 2023
Short summary

Dan(i) Jones et al.

Data sets

SO-WISE South Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean Observational Constraints Dani Jones, Shenjie Zhou https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7468655

South Atlantic Ocean profile dataset: identification of near-Antarctic profiles using unsupervised classification Dani Jones, Shenjie Zhou https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7465132

Model code and software

so-wise/weddell_gyre_clusters: First release Dani Jones https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7465388

Dan(i) Jones et al.

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Short summary
Machine learning is transforming oceanography. For example, unsupervised classification approaches help researchers identify under-appreciated structures in ocean data, helping to generate new hypotheses. In this work, we use a type of unsupervised classification to identify structures in the temperature and salinity structure of the Weddell Gyre, which is an important region for global ocean circulation and for climate. We use our method to generate new ideas about mixing in the Weddell Gyre.