Abstract Large-scale geostrophic flow across an oceanographic section can be computed from in situ density profiles and satellite-borne sea level anomaly measurements at the section endpoints. Here, uncertainties are estimated and compared for observations that span the North Atlantic Current. Out of multi-year mooring records from two sites, Porcupine Abyssal Plain and Central Irminger Sea, 16 months from the 2002–2005 period are available that have sufficient data coverage to observe this current. Transport and uncertainty estimates from these moorings are compared to results from Argo floats and expendable bathythermographs. The latter have longer data sets and provide decadal time series with semiannual resolution in time. Typical uncertainties, which take sensor errors and sub-sampling the eddy field into account, are below 2 Sv of volume transport for the mooring- and float-based estimates and just below 3 Sv for the expendable bathythermographs. Peak-to-peak variability occurs on decadal time scales and is about 11 Sv, well above the observational uncertainty. We can therefore have confidence that the observed signal reflects true changes in the ocean. The time series is further extended to 25 years duration, using solely the altimetry data by proxy. The aim of this study is to add value to such time series by understanding and quantifying the uncertainties and consistency between methods. The methodology is applicable at other locations as well.

中文翻译：

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来自测高、浮标、系泊和 XBT 的北大西洋洋流观测的不确定性

摘要 跨海洋剖面的大规模地转流可以从剖面端点处的原位密度剖面和卫星海平面异常测量中计算出来。在这里，对跨越北大西洋洋流的观测结果的不确定性进行了估计和比较。在豪猪深渊平原和中央 Irminger 海这两个地点的多年系泊记录中，有 2002 年至 2005 年期间 16 个月的可用数据，这些数据覆盖范围足以观察该洋流。将这些系泊设备的运输和不确定性估计与 Argo 浮标和一次性深海温度计的结果进行比较。后者具有更长的数据集，并提供具有半年分辨率的十年时间序列。典型的不确定性，将传感器误差和涡场二次采样考虑在内，系泊和浮法估计的体积传输低于 2 Sv，而消耗性深海温度计则略低于 3 Sv。峰峰值变化发生在十年时间尺度上，约为 11 Sv，远高于观测不确定性。因此，我们可以确信观测到的信号反映了海洋的真实变化。时间序列进一步扩展到 25 年的持续时间，仅使用代理的测高数据。本研究的目的是通过理解和量化方法之间的不确定性和一致性来增加此类时间序列的价值。该方法也适用于其他地点。远高于观测的不确定性。因此，我们可以确信观测到的信号反映了海洋的真实变化。时间序列进一步扩展到 25 年的持续时间，仅使用代理的测高数据。本研究的目的是通过理解和量化方法之间的不确定性和一致性来增加此类时间序列的价值。该方法也适用于其他地点。远高于观测的不确定性。因此，我们可以确信观测到的信号反映了海洋的真实变化。时间序列进一步扩展到 25 年的持续时间，仅使用代理的测高数据。本研究的目的是通过理解和量化方法之间的不确定性和一致性来增加此类时间序列的价值。该方法也适用于其他地点。