Response to Comment on "Eddy/Wind Interactions Stimulate Extraordinary Mid-Ocean Plankton Blooms"

doi:10.1126/science.1148974

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Science 25 April 2008:
Vol. 320. no. 5875, p. 448
DOI: 10.1126/science.1148974

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Technical Comments

Response to Comment on "Eddy/Wind Interactions Stimulate Extraordinary Mid-Ocean Plankton Blooms"

Dennis J. McGillicuddy, Jr.^*, James R. Ledwell and Laurence A. Anderson

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543–1541, USA.

Fig. 1. Vertical velocities computed from a feature model of mode-water eddy A4 (A). The total Ekman vertical velocity (D) is given by

Formula
from which the linear (C) and nonlinear (B) components can be derived:

Formula

Formula
where ${tau}$ _x and ${tau}$ _y are the eastward and northward components of the wind stress, ${rho}$ the density, and ${zeta}$ the relative vorticity. The Coriolis parameter f is assumed to be constant (f₀) over the scale of the eddy. (E) and (F) show north-south cross sections and azimuthal averages of the linear and nonlinear contributions to the total Ekman vertical velocity. [View Larger Version of this Image (34K GIF file)]