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Mode Waters

Mode Waters summarizes detected mode water layers by three-month period, with profile counts and thickness statistics.

Mode Waters

To inspect the same detections on individual map markers, use the Mode Water Data Layer.

Accessing Mode Waters

Sign in and open Menu > Visual Lab > Mode Waters.

Results Display

Mean Thickness is the average of the three-month median thickness values shown in the time series.

Graphs

Both graphs use three-month periods from 2001 onward.

  • Time series: median thickness (solid blue line) with lower and upper quartiles (dashed gray lines)
  • Profile count: number of profiles containing mode water in each period (blue bars)

Included Profiles

Detection uses the geographic bounds, density range, and potential vorticity threshold displayed on screen. Only profiles inside that region that reach at least 500 dbar and contain enough finite pressure, temperature, and salinity values are analyzed. Detected layers must be at least 10 m thick. Where potential vorticity cannot be calculated at a depth, the density criterion is used alone. These automatic criteria support exploration; they do not guarantee a research-grade water-mass classification.

Three-Month Periods

Periods are labeled by month initials (DJF, MAM, JJA, SON), not by hemisphere-specific season names. DJF uses the year of January and February: 2024 DJF covers December 2023 through February 2024.

For background on mode-water formation and interpretation, read What Is Mode Water? in OceanGraph Articles.