Wave-turbulence interaction-induced vertical mixing and its effects in ocean and climate models.

ABSTRACT: Heated from above, the oceans are stably stratified. Therefore, the performance of general ocean circulation models and climate studies through coupled atmosphere-ocean models depends critically on vertical mixing of energy and momentum in the water column. Many of the traditional general circulation models are based on total kinetic energy (TKE), in which the roles of waves are averaged out. Although theoretical calculations suggest that waves could greatly enhance coexisting turbulence, no field measurements on turbulence have ever validated this mechanism directly. To address this problem, a specially designed field experiment has been conducted. The experimental results indicate that the wave-turbulence interaction-induced enhancement of the background turbulence is indeed the predomin

SUBMITTER: Qiao F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4792408 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature