Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2018

Presentation information

[EE] Poster

A (Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Sciences) » A-OS Ocean Sciences & Ocean Environment

[A-OS11] What we have learned about ocean mixing in the last decade

Mon. May 21, 2018 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Poster Hall (International Exhibition Hall7, Makuhari Messe)

convener:Toshiyuki Hibiya(Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo), Louis St Laurent (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), Ren-Chieh Lien(None, 共同), Robin Ann Robertson (China-ASEAN College of Marine Science Xiamen University Malaysia)

[AOS11-P05] Observed variations in mixing efficiency in the deep ocean

*Takashi Ijichi1, Toshiyuki Hibiya1 (1.Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science. The University of Tokyo)

Keywords:Turbulent Mixing

Recent progress in direct numerical simulations (DNS) of stratified turbulent flows has led to increasing attention to the applicability of the constant mixing coefficient Γ in the Osborn’s eddy diffusivity model, Γ = 0.2. Motivated by lack of observational estimates of Γ particularly in the deep ocean, this study examines variations of Γ using deep microstructure profiles collected in various regions of the North Pacific and the Southern Ocean. It is shown that Γ is not constant but varies significantly with the ratio of the Ozmidov scale to the Thorpe scale ROT in a fashion similar to that obtained by previous DNS studies. Efficient mixing events with Γ ~ O(1) and ROT ~ O(0.1) tend to be frequently observed in the deep ocean, while moderate mixing events with Γ ~ O(0.1) and ROT ~ O(1) tend to be observed in the upper ocean. Furthermore, the observed negative relationship between Γ and ROT is consistent with a simple scaling Γ proportional to ROT−4/3 that can be derived from classical turbulence theories. In contrast, the observed results exhibit no definite relationships between Γ and the buoyancy Reynolds number Reb, although Reb has long been thought to be another key parameter controlling Γ.