A new observationally motivated Richardson number based mixing parametrization for oceanic mesoscale flow
Ocean models require subgrid-scale parametrizations of vertical mixing expressed in terms of a quantity that is easily diagnosable from model output, such as the Richardson number. To date parametrizing mixing for low (<1) Richardson number flows, such as the Equatorial Undercurrent, has received...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
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Language: | English |
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2013
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Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/501904/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/501904/1/jgrc20108_Forryan.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20108 |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:501904 2023-05-15T17:32:23+02:00 A new observationally motivated Richardson number based mixing parametrization for oceanic mesoscale flow Forryan, Alexander Martin, Adrian P. Srokosz, Meric A. Popova, Ekaterina E. Painter, Stuart C. Renner, Angelika H. H. 2013-03 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/501904/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/501904/1/jgrc20108_Forryan.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20108 en eng https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/501904/1/jgrc20108_Forryan.pdf Forryan, Alexander; Martin, Adrian P. orcid:0000-0002-1202-8612 Srokosz, Meric A. orcid:0000-0002-7347-7411 Popova, Ekaterina E. orcid:0000-0002-2012-708X Painter, Stuart C.; Renner, Angelika H. H. 2013 A new observationally motivated Richardson number based mixing parametrization for oceanic mesoscale flow. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 118 (3). 1405-1419. https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20108 <https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20108> Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2013 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20108 2023-02-04T19:37:00Z Ocean models require subgrid-scale parametrizations of vertical mixing expressed in terms of a quantity that is easily diagnosable from model output, such as the Richardson number. To date parametrizing mixing for low (<1) Richardson number flows, such as the Equatorial Undercurrent, has received the most attention. Here a new Richardson number parametrization is proposed that provides estimates of vertical turbulent diffusivity in the high Richardson number stratified shear flow that is associated with mesoscale ocean features such as eddies and fronts. This parametrization is based on direct observations of vertical turbulent diffusivity from three separate ocean regions in the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean and is found to be robust for values of the Richardson number greater than 1 at depths below the ocean surface boundary layer. The new parametrization gives substantially improved agreement with the observed mixing in the presence of mesoscale ocean features compared to existing Richardson number parametrizations. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Southern Ocean Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Southern Ocean Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 118 3 1405 1419 |
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Open Polar |
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Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
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ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
Ocean models require subgrid-scale parametrizations of vertical mixing expressed in terms of a quantity that is easily diagnosable from model output, such as the Richardson number. To date parametrizing mixing for low (<1) Richardson number flows, such as the Equatorial Undercurrent, has received the most attention. Here a new Richardson number parametrization is proposed that provides estimates of vertical turbulent diffusivity in the high Richardson number stratified shear flow that is associated with mesoscale ocean features such as eddies and fronts. This parametrization is based on direct observations of vertical turbulent diffusivity from three separate ocean regions in the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean and is found to be robust for values of the Richardson number greater than 1 at depths below the ocean surface boundary layer. The new parametrization gives substantially improved agreement with the observed mixing in the presence of mesoscale ocean features compared to existing Richardson number parametrizations. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Forryan, Alexander Martin, Adrian P. Srokosz, Meric A. Popova, Ekaterina E. Painter, Stuart C. Renner, Angelika H. H. |
spellingShingle |
Forryan, Alexander Martin, Adrian P. Srokosz, Meric A. Popova, Ekaterina E. Painter, Stuart C. Renner, Angelika H. H. A new observationally motivated Richardson number based mixing parametrization for oceanic mesoscale flow |
author_facet |
Forryan, Alexander Martin, Adrian P. Srokosz, Meric A. Popova, Ekaterina E. Painter, Stuart C. Renner, Angelika H. H. |
author_sort |
Forryan, Alexander |
title |
A new observationally motivated Richardson number based mixing parametrization for oceanic mesoscale flow |
title_short |
A new observationally motivated Richardson number based mixing parametrization for oceanic mesoscale flow |
title_full |
A new observationally motivated Richardson number based mixing parametrization for oceanic mesoscale flow |
title_fullStr |
A new observationally motivated Richardson number based mixing parametrization for oceanic mesoscale flow |
title_full_unstemmed |
A new observationally motivated Richardson number based mixing parametrization for oceanic mesoscale flow |
title_sort |
new observationally motivated richardson number based mixing parametrization for oceanic mesoscale flow |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/501904/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/501904/1/jgrc20108_Forryan.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20108 |
geographic |
Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean |
genre |
North Atlantic Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/501904/1/jgrc20108_Forryan.pdf Forryan, Alexander; Martin, Adrian P. orcid:0000-0002-1202-8612 Srokosz, Meric A. orcid:0000-0002-7347-7411 Popova, Ekaterina E. orcid:0000-0002-2012-708X Painter, Stuart C.; Renner, Angelika H. H. 2013 A new observationally motivated Richardson number based mixing parametrization for oceanic mesoscale flow. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 118 (3). 1405-1419. https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20108 <https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20108> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20108 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
container_volume |
118 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
1405 |
op_container_end_page |
1419 |
_version_ |
1766130463227772928 |