Diapycnal mixing by meso-scale eddies
The mean available potential energy released by baroclinic instability into the meso-scale eddy field has to be dissipated in some way and Tandon and Garrett [Tandon, A., Garrett, C., 1996. On a recent parameterization of mesoscale eddies. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 26 (3), 406–416] suggested that this diss...
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Online Access: | https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/3686/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/3686/1/Eden.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.04.006 |
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ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:3686 2023-05-15T17:34:02+02:00 Diapycnal mixing by meso-scale eddies Eden, Carsten Greatbatch, Richard 2008 text https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/3686/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/3686/1/Eden.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.04.006 en eng Elsevier https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/3686/1/Eden.pdf Eden, C. and Greatbatch, R. (2008) Diapycnal mixing by meso-scale eddies. Ocean Modelling, 23 (3-4). pp. 113-120. DOI 10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.04.006 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.04.006>. doi:10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.04.006 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Article PeerReviewed 2008 ftoceanrep https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.04.006 2023-04-07T14:48:09Z The mean available potential energy released by baroclinic instability into the meso-scale eddy field has to be dissipated in some way and Tandon and Garrett [Tandon, A., Garrett, C., 1996. On a recent parameterization of mesoscale eddies. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 26 (3), 406–416] suggested that this dissipation could ultimately involve irreversible mixing of buoyancy by molecular processes at the small-scale end of the turbulence cascade. We revisit this idea and argue that the presence of dissipation within the thermocline automatically requires that a component of the eddy flux associated with meso-scale eddies must be associated with irreversible mixing of buoyancy within the thermocline. We offer a parameterisation of the implied diapycnal diffusivity based on (i) the dissipation rate for eddy kinetic energy given by the meso-scale eddy closure of Eden and Greatbatch [Eden, C., Greatbatch, R.J., 2008. Towards a meso-scale eddy closure. Ocean Modell. 20, 223–239.] and (ii) a fixed mixing efficiency. The implied eddy-induced diapycnal diffusivity (κ) is implemented in a coarse resolution model of the North Atlantic. In contrast to the vertical diffusivity given by a standard vertical mixing scheme, large lateral inhomogeneities can be found for κ in the interior of the ocean. In general, κ is large, i.e. up to o(10) cm2/s, near the western boundaries and almost vanishing in the interior of the ocean. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) Ocean Modelling 23 3-4 113 120 |
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OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) |
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ftoceanrep |
language |
English |
description |
The mean available potential energy released by baroclinic instability into the meso-scale eddy field has to be dissipated in some way and Tandon and Garrett [Tandon, A., Garrett, C., 1996. On a recent parameterization of mesoscale eddies. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 26 (3), 406–416] suggested that this dissipation could ultimately involve irreversible mixing of buoyancy by molecular processes at the small-scale end of the turbulence cascade. We revisit this idea and argue that the presence of dissipation within the thermocline automatically requires that a component of the eddy flux associated with meso-scale eddies must be associated with irreversible mixing of buoyancy within the thermocline. We offer a parameterisation of the implied diapycnal diffusivity based on (i) the dissipation rate for eddy kinetic energy given by the meso-scale eddy closure of Eden and Greatbatch [Eden, C., Greatbatch, R.J., 2008. Towards a meso-scale eddy closure. Ocean Modell. 20, 223–239.] and (ii) a fixed mixing efficiency. The implied eddy-induced diapycnal diffusivity (κ) is implemented in a coarse resolution model of the North Atlantic. In contrast to the vertical diffusivity given by a standard vertical mixing scheme, large lateral inhomogeneities can be found for κ in the interior of the ocean. In general, κ is large, i.e. up to o(10) cm2/s, near the western boundaries and almost vanishing in the interior of the ocean. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Eden, Carsten Greatbatch, Richard |
spellingShingle |
Eden, Carsten Greatbatch, Richard Diapycnal mixing by meso-scale eddies |
author_facet |
Eden, Carsten Greatbatch, Richard |
author_sort |
Eden, Carsten |
title |
Diapycnal mixing by meso-scale eddies |
title_short |
Diapycnal mixing by meso-scale eddies |
title_full |
Diapycnal mixing by meso-scale eddies |
title_fullStr |
Diapycnal mixing by meso-scale eddies |
title_full_unstemmed |
Diapycnal mixing by meso-scale eddies |
title_sort |
diapycnal mixing by meso-scale eddies |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/3686/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/3686/1/Eden.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.04.006 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_relation |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/3686/1/Eden.pdf Eden, C. and Greatbatch, R. (2008) Diapycnal mixing by meso-scale eddies. Ocean Modelling, 23 (3-4). pp. 113-120. DOI 10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.04.006 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.04.006>. doi:10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.04.006 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.04.006 |
container_title |
Ocean Modelling |
container_volume |
23 |
container_issue |
3-4 |
container_start_page |
113 |
op_container_end_page |
120 |
_version_ |
1766132721381277696 |