A Multiwavenumber Theory for Eddy Diffusivities and Its Application to the Southeast Pacific (DIMES) Region
A multiwavenumber theory is formulated to represent eddy diffusivities. It expands on earlier single-wavenumber theories and includes the wide range of wavenumbers encompassed in eddy motions. In the limiting case in which ocean eddies are only composed of a single wavenumber, the multiwavenumber th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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American Meteorological Society
2016
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/101107 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3589-5249 |
| _version_ | 1811090203421442048 |
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| author | Gille, Sarah T. McClean, Julie L. Griesel, Alexa Flierl, Glenn Richard Chen, Ru, Ph. D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Gille, Sarah T. McClean, Julie L. Griesel, Alexa Flierl, Glenn Richard Chen, Ru, Ph. D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| author_sort | Gille, Sarah T. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | A multiwavenumber theory is formulated to represent eddy diffusivities. It expands on earlier single-wavenumber theories and includes the wide range of wavenumbers encompassed in eddy motions. In the limiting case in which ocean eddies are only composed of a single wavenumber, the multiwavenumber theory is equivalent to the single-wavenumber theory and both show mixing suppression by the eddy propagation relative to the mean flow. The multiwavenumber theory was tested in a region of the Southern Ocean (70°–45°S, 110°–20°W) that covers the Drake Passage and includes the tracer/float release locations during the Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean (DIMES). Cross-stream eddy diffusivities and mixing lengths were estimated in this region from the single-wavenumber theory, from the multiwavenumber theory, and from floats deployed in a global k[subscript 0]° Parallel Ocean Program (POP) simulation. Compared to the single-wavenumber theory, the horizontal structures of cross-stream mixing lengths from the multiwavenumber theory agree better with the simulated float-based estimates at almost all depth levels. The multiwavenumber theory better represents the vertical structure of cross-stream mixing lengths both inside and outside the Antarctica Circumpolar Current (ACC). Both the single-wavenumber and multiwavenumber theories represent the horizontal structures of cross-stream diffusivities, which resemble the eddy kinetic energy patterns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:37:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/101107 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:37:48Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | American Meteorological Society |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1011072024-05-15T08:53:10Z A Multiwavenumber Theory for Eddy Diffusivities and Its Application to the Southeast Pacific (DIMES) Region Gille, Sarah T. McClean, Julie L. Griesel, Alexa Flierl, Glenn Richard Chen, Ru, Ph. D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Flierl, Glenn Richard A multiwavenumber theory is formulated to represent eddy diffusivities. It expands on earlier single-wavenumber theories and includes the wide range of wavenumbers encompassed in eddy motions. In the limiting case in which ocean eddies are only composed of a single wavenumber, the multiwavenumber theory is equivalent to the single-wavenumber theory and both show mixing suppression by the eddy propagation relative to the mean flow. The multiwavenumber theory was tested in a region of the Southern Ocean (70°–45°S, 110°–20°W) that covers the Drake Passage and includes the tracer/float release locations during the Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean (DIMES). Cross-stream eddy diffusivities and mixing lengths were estimated in this region from the single-wavenumber theory, from the multiwavenumber theory, and from floats deployed in a global k[subscript 0]° Parallel Ocean Program (POP) simulation. Compared to the single-wavenumber theory, the horizontal structures of cross-stream mixing lengths from the multiwavenumber theory agree better with the simulated float-based estimates at almost all depth levels. The multiwavenumber theory better represents the vertical structure of cross-stream mixing lengths both inside and outside the Antarctica Circumpolar Current (ACC). Both the single-wavenumber and multiwavenumber theories represent the horizontal structures of cross-stream diffusivities, which resemble the eddy kinetic energy patterns. 2016-02-05T12:15:40Z 2016-02-05T12:15:40Z 2015-07 2015-04 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0022-3670 1520-0485 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/101107 Chen, Ru, Sarah T. Gille, Julie L. McClean, Glenn R. Flierl, and Alexa Griesel. “A Multiwavenumber Theory for Eddy Diffusivities and Its Application to the Southeast Pacific (DIMES) Region.” Journal of Physical Oceanography 45, no. 7 (July 2015): 1877–1896. © 2015 American Meteorological Society https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3589-5249 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-14-0229.1 Journal of Physical Oceanography Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf American Meteorological Society American Meteorological Society |
| spellingShingle | Gille, Sarah T. McClean, Julie L. Griesel, Alexa Flierl, Glenn Richard Chen, Ru, Ph. D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology A Multiwavenumber Theory for Eddy Diffusivities and Its Application to the Southeast Pacific (DIMES) Region |
| title | A Multiwavenumber Theory for Eddy Diffusivities and Its Application to the Southeast Pacific (DIMES) Region |
| title_full | A Multiwavenumber Theory for Eddy Diffusivities and Its Application to the Southeast Pacific (DIMES) Region |
| title_fullStr | A Multiwavenumber Theory for Eddy Diffusivities and Its Application to the Southeast Pacific (DIMES) Region |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Multiwavenumber Theory for Eddy Diffusivities and Its Application to the Southeast Pacific (DIMES) Region |
| title_short | A Multiwavenumber Theory for Eddy Diffusivities and Its Application to the Southeast Pacific (DIMES) Region |
| title_sort | multiwavenumber theory for eddy diffusivities and its application to the southeast pacific dimes region |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/101107 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3589-5249 |
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