Decadal change of Antarctic Intermediate Water in the region of Brazil and Malvinas confluence.

Abstract: The Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) exhibits a decadal variability during recent years, i.e., salinification before 1997 and freshening thereafter, with the maximum anomalies locating at the region of Brazil and Malvinas currents confluence. Our study proposed that the local mesoscale eddies may play an important role in triggering this decadal oscillation. The eddy activity intensification (weakening) leads to the increase (decrease) of poleward cross-frontal eddy salinity flux and upward eddy buoyancy flux, which results in the weakening (strengthening) of the subsurface stratification and potential vorticity (PV). The PV anomalies facilitate (block) the poleward transport of warm saline subtropical water, while the stratification weakening favors the further downward transmission of salinity anomalies by processes of eddy flux as well as mean-flow advection (the stratification strengthening inhibits the vertical transport), then initiates the decadal change of the AAIW property. The whole process of the eddy-related propagation of salinity anomalies takes about 4 to 6 years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]