Diagnosing scale-dependent energy cycles in a high-resolution isopycnal ocean model
Energy exchanges between large-scale ocean currents and mesoscale eddies play an important role in setting the large-scale ocean circulation but are not fully captured in models. To better understand and quantify the ocean energy cycle, we apply along-isopycnal spatial filtering to output from an is...
Published in: | Journal of Physical Oceanography |
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Language: | English |
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2023
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-22-0083.1 |
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ftncar:oai:drupal-site.org:articles_26109 2023-10-01T03:59:38+02:00 Diagnosing scale-dependent energy cycles in a high-resolution isopycnal ocean model Loose, Nora (author) Bachman, Scott (author) Grooms, Ian (author) Jansen, Malte (author) 2023-01 https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-22-0083.1 en eng Journal of Physical Oceanography--0022-3670--1520-0485 articles:26109 doi:10.1175/JPO-D-22-0083.1 ark:/85065/d7hh6pz2 Copyright 2023 American Meteorological Society (AMS). article Text 2023 ftncar https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-22-0083.1 2023-09-04T18:21:10Z Energy exchanges between large-scale ocean currents and mesoscale eddies play an important role in setting the large-scale ocean circulation but are not fully captured in models. To better understand and quantify the ocean energy cycle, we apply along-isopycnal spatial filtering to output from an isopycnal 1/32 degrees primitive equation model with idealized Atlantic and Southern Ocean geometry and topography. We diagnose the energy cycle in two frameworks: 1) a non-thickness-weighted framework, resulting in a Lorenz-like energy cycle, and 2) a thickness-weighted framework, resulting in the Bleck energy cycle. This paper shows that framework 2 is more useful for studying energy pathways when an isopycnal average is used. Next, we investigate the Bleck cycle as a function of filter scale. Baroclinic conversion generates mesoscale eddy kinetic energy over a wide range of scales and peaks near the deformation scale at high latitudes but below the deformation scale at low latitudes. Away from topography, an inverse cascade transfers kinetic energy from the mesoscales to larger scales. The upscale energy transfer peaks near the energy-containing scale at high latitudes but below the deformation scale at low latitudes. Regions downstream of topography are characterized by a downscale kinetic energy transfer, in which mesoscale eddies are generated through barotropic instability. The scale- and flow-dependent energy pathways diagnosed in this paper provide a basis for evaluating and developing scale- and flow-aware mesoscale eddy parameterizations. Significance StatementBlowing winds provide a major energy source for the large-scale ocean circulation. A substantial fraction of this energy is converted to smaller-scale eddies, which swirl through the ocean as sea cyclones. Ocean turbulence causes these eddies to transfer part of their energy back to the large-scale ocean currents. This ocean energy cycle is not fully simulated in numerical models, but it plays an important role in transporting heat, carbon, and ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Southern Ocean OpenSky (NCAR/UCAR - National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) Southern Ocean Journal of Physical Oceanography 53 1 157 176 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
OpenSky (NCAR/UCAR - National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) |
op_collection_id |
ftncar |
language |
English |
description |
Energy exchanges between large-scale ocean currents and mesoscale eddies play an important role in setting the large-scale ocean circulation but are not fully captured in models. To better understand and quantify the ocean energy cycle, we apply along-isopycnal spatial filtering to output from an isopycnal 1/32 degrees primitive equation model with idealized Atlantic and Southern Ocean geometry and topography. We diagnose the energy cycle in two frameworks: 1) a non-thickness-weighted framework, resulting in a Lorenz-like energy cycle, and 2) a thickness-weighted framework, resulting in the Bleck energy cycle. This paper shows that framework 2 is more useful for studying energy pathways when an isopycnal average is used. Next, we investigate the Bleck cycle as a function of filter scale. Baroclinic conversion generates mesoscale eddy kinetic energy over a wide range of scales and peaks near the deformation scale at high latitudes but below the deformation scale at low latitudes. Away from topography, an inverse cascade transfers kinetic energy from the mesoscales to larger scales. The upscale energy transfer peaks near the energy-containing scale at high latitudes but below the deformation scale at low latitudes. Regions downstream of topography are characterized by a downscale kinetic energy transfer, in which mesoscale eddies are generated through barotropic instability. The scale- and flow-dependent energy pathways diagnosed in this paper provide a basis for evaluating and developing scale- and flow-aware mesoscale eddy parameterizations. Significance StatementBlowing winds provide a major energy source for the large-scale ocean circulation. A substantial fraction of this energy is converted to smaller-scale eddies, which swirl through the ocean as sea cyclones. Ocean turbulence causes these eddies to transfer part of their energy back to the large-scale ocean currents. This ocean energy cycle is not fully simulated in numerical models, but it plays an important role in transporting heat, carbon, and ... |
author2 |
Loose, Nora (author) Bachman, Scott (author) Grooms, Ian (author) Jansen, Malte (author) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
title |
Diagnosing scale-dependent energy cycles in a high-resolution isopycnal ocean model |
spellingShingle |
Diagnosing scale-dependent energy cycles in a high-resolution isopycnal ocean model |
title_short |
Diagnosing scale-dependent energy cycles in a high-resolution isopycnal ocean model |
title_full |
Diagnosing scale-dependent energy cycles in a high-resolution isopycnal ocean model |
title_fullStr |
Diagnosing scale-dependent energy cycles in a high-resolution isopycnal ocean model |
title_full_unstemmed |
Diagnosing scale-dependent energy cycles in a high-resolution isopycnal ocean model |
title_sort |
diagnosing scale-dependent energy cycles in a high-resolution isopycnal ocean model |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-22-0083.1 |
geographic |
Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean |
genre |
Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
Journal of Physical Oceanography--0022-3670--1520-0485 articles:26109 doi:10.1175/JPO-D-22-0083.1 ark:/85065/d7hh6pz2 |
op_rights |
Copyright 2023 American Meteorological Society (AMS). |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-22-0083.1 |
container_title |
Journal of Physical Oceanography |
container_volume |
53 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
157 |
op_container_end_page |
176 |
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1778533885363093504 |