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A finite element diagnostic model is used to study the circulation of the North Pacific Ocean. With the inclusion of the JEBAR term, the model produces a realistic picture of the circulation. All major currents are reproduced with the calculated transports agreeing well with observations. The three dimensional velocity structure is diagnosed from the thermal wind equation, assuming a reference velocity at the bottom. This bottom reference velocity is calculated from the Ekman, thermohaline and total transport (from the finite element model) velocities. The diagnosed velocity fields are then compared with a number of observational sections.
The effect of using different wind stress climatologies is also examined. Due to the dominance of the JEBAR term in the solution, the resulting circulations are all similar. Analysis of the seasonal cycle in the model supports the suggestion of Sakamoto and Yamagata that JEBAR rectification can explain the decreased amplitude of the seasonal cycle and the out of phase relationship between observations and the predictions of flat-bottomed Sverdrup theory. Finally, density fields from 1955-1959 and 1970-1974 are used to examine aspects of interpentadal variability in the North Pacific Ocean.
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