Editing Antarctic Circumpolar Wave

{{short description|Coupled ocean/atmosphere wave that circles the Southern Ocean eastward in approximately eight years}}
The '''Antarctic Circumpolar Wave''' ('''ACW''') is a coupled [[ocean]]/[[Earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]] [[wave]] that circles the [[Southern Ocean]] in approximately eight years at {{Convert|6|-|8|cm/s|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Harvnb|White|Peterson|1996}}</ref> Since it is a wave-2 phenomenon (there are two [[ridge (meteorology)|ridges]] and two [[trough (meteorology)|troughs]] in a [[Circle of latitude|latitude circle]]) at each fixed point in space a signal with a [[simple harmonic motion|period]] of four years is seen.<ref>{{Harvnb|Connolley|2002|loc=[14]}}</ref> The wave moves eastward with the [[Ocean current|prevailing currents]].

== History of  the concept ==
Although the "wave" is seen in [[temperature]], [[atmospheric pressure]], [[sea ice]] and ocean height, the variations are hard to see in the raw data and need to be filtered to become apparent. Because the reliable record for the [[Southern Ocean]] is short (since the early 1980s) and [[signal processing]] is needed to reveal its existence, some [[climatologist]]s doubt the existence of the wave. Others accept its existence but say that it varies in strength over decades.<ref>{{Harvnb|Connolley|2002|loc=[2]}}</ref>

The wave was discovered simultaneously by {{Harvnb|White|Peterson|1996}} and {{Harvnb|Jacobs|Mitchell|1996}}. Since then, ideas about the wave structure and maintenance mechanisms have changed and grown: by some accounts it is now to be considered as part of a global [[El Niño Southern Oscillation|ENSO]] wave.<ref>{{Harvnb|Connolley|2002|loc=Introduction}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Antarctic Circle]]
* [[Antarctic Convergence]]

== References ==
=== Notes ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
* {{Cite journal | last1 = White | first1 = W. B. | author1-link = Warren White (oceanographer) | last2 = Peterson | first2 = R. G. | title = An Antarctic circumpolar wave in surface pressure, temperature and sea-ice extent | year = 1996 | journal = [[Nature (journal)|Nature]] | volume = 380 | issue = 6576 | pages = 699–702 | url = http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/~klinck/Reprints/PDF/whiteNature96.pdf | access-date = 2015-05-10 | doi = 10.1038/380699a0 | bibcode = 1996Natur.380..699W | s2cid = 4312307 | archive-date = 2015-05-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150518083449/http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/~klinck/Reprints/PDF/whiteNature96.pdf | url-status = dead }}<!-- {{Harvnb|White|Peterson|1996}} -->
* {{Cite journal
 | last1 = Jacobs | first1 = G. A.
 | last2 = Mitchell | first2 = J. L.
 | title = Ocean circulation variations associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave
 | year = 1996 | journal = [[Geophysical Research Letters]] | volume = 23 | issue = 21 | pages = 2947–50
 | url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239743375 | access-date = 2015-05-10
 | doi = 10.1029/96GL02492 |bibcode = 1996GeoRL..23.2947J | s2cid = 129657346
 }}<!-- {{Harvnb|Jacobs|Mitchell|1996}} -->
* {{Cite journal
 | last = Connolley | first = W. M.
 | title = Long-term variation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave
 | year = 2002 | journal = [[Journal of Geophysical Research]] | volume = 107 | issue = C4
 | pages = 8076
 | doi = 10.1029/2000JC000380 |bibcode = 2002JGRC..107.8076C | citeseerx = 10.1.1.693.4116
 }}<!-- {{Harvnb|Connolley|2002}} -->

== External links ==
* [http://www-das.uwyo.edu/~geerts/cwx/notes/chap11/ant_wave.html Antarctic Circumpolar Wave Description]
* [http://ams.allenpress.com/amsonline/?request=get-abstract&issn=1520-0485&volume=028&issue=12&page=2345 The Antarctic Circumpolar Wave: A Beta Effect in Ocean–Atmosphere Coupling over the Southern Ocean]

[[Category:Environment of Antarctica]]
[[Category:Physical oceanography]]
[[Category:Geography of the Southern Ocean]]


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