Enhanced vertical propagation of storm-induced near-inertial energy in an eddying ocean channel model

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Zhai, X, Greatbatch, R, Zhao, J
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Southern Ocean
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL023643; https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:45e9afc3-48ca-44ca-8789-2386b69018dd

The interaction between inertial oscillations generated by a storm and a mesoscale eddy field is studied using a Southern Ocean channel model. It is shown that the leakage of near-inertial energy out of the surface layer is strongly enhanced by the presence of the eddies, with the anticyclonic eddies acting as a conduit to the deep ocean. Given the ubiquity of the atmospheric storm tracks (a source of near-inertial energy for the ocean) and regions of strong ocean mesoscale variability, we argue that this effect could be important for understanding pathways by which near-inertial energy enters the ocean and is ultimately available for mixing. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.