likely to be very patchy. If this is true, then in the
deep ocean we are likely to see a series of zonal
jets, possibly steered by deeper topography, instead
of the standard picture of a large gyre in each of
the major ocean basins.
This new picture of the deep ocean is revolutionary and exciting. It requires a lot more study
developing both the theory and the observational
database. Observations of the ocean are always
expensive but they are essential for the further
development of our understanding. Our picture of
the deep ocean is becoming clearer but there is still
a lot to do.
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