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    Global patterns of diapycnal mixing from measurements of the turbulent dissipation rate

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    jpo-d-13-0104%2E1.pdf (1.961Mb)
    Date
    2014-07
    Author
    Waterhouse, Amy F.  Concept link
    MacKinnon, Jennifer A.  Concept link
    Nash, Jonathan D.  Concept link
    Alford, Matthew H.  Concept link
    Kunze, Eric  Concept link
    Simmons, Harper L.  Concept link
    Polzin, Kurt L.  Concept link
    St. Laurent, Louis C.  Concept link
    Sun, Oliver M. T.  Concept link
    Pinkel, Robert  Concept link
    Talley, Lynne D.  Concept link
    Whalen, Caitlin B.  Concept link
    Huussen, Tycho N.  Concept link
    Carter, Glenn S.  Concept link
    Fer, Ilker  Concept link
    Waterman, Stephanie N.  Concept link
    Naveira Garabato, Alberto C.  Concept link
    Sanford, Thomas B.  Concept link
    Lee, Craig M.  Concept link
    Metadata
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    Citable URI
    https://hdl.handle.net/1912/6825
    As published
    https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-13-0104.1
    DOI
    10.1175/JPO-D-13-0104.1
    Keyword
     Circulation/ Dynamics; Diapycnal mixing; Internal waves 
    Abstract
    The authors present inferences of diapycnal diffusivity from a compilation of over 5200 microstructure profiles. As microstructure observations are sparse, these are supplemented with indirect measurements of mixing obtained from (i) Thorpe-scale overturns from moored profilers, a finescale parameterization applied to (ii) shipboard observations of upper-ocean shear, (iii) strain as measured by profiling floats, and (iv) shear and strain from full-depth lowered acoustic Doppler current profilers (LADCP) and CTD profiles. Vertical profiles of the turbulent dissipation rate are bottom enhanced over rough topography and abrupt, isolated ridges. The geography of depth-integrated dissipation rate shows spatial variability related to internal wave generation, suggesting one direct energy pathway to turbulence. The global-averaged diapycnal diffusivity below 1000-m depth is O(10−4) m2 s−1 and above 1000-m depth is O(10−5) m2 s−1. The compiled microstructure observations sample a wide range of internal wave power inputs and topographic roughness, providing a dataset with which to estimate a representative global-averaged dissipation rate and diffusivity. However, there is strong regional variability in the ratio between local internal wave generation and local dissipation. In some regions, the depth-integrated dissipation rate is comparable to the estimated power input into the local internal wave field. In a few cases, more internal wave power is dissipated than locally generated, suggesting remote internal wave sources. However, at most locations the total power lost through turbulent dissipation is less than the input into the local internal wave field. This suggests dissipation elsewhere, such as continental margins.
    Description
    Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2014. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 44 (2014): 1854–1872, doi:10.1175/JPO-D-13-0104.1.
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    • Physical Oceanography (PO)
    Suggested Citation
    Journal of Physical Oceanography 44 (2014): 1854–1872
     

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