OSMOSIS: Ocean Surface Mixing, Ocean Sub-mesoscale Interaction Study
Lead Research Organisation:
National Oceanography Centre
Department Name: Science and Technology
Abstract
Detailed in the Lead Organization (University of Reading) proposal.
Publications
Brannigan L
(2015)
The seasonal cycle of submesoscale flows
in Ocean Modelling
Pearson B
(2015)
Langmuir Turbulence and Surface Heating in the Ocean Surface Boundary Layer
in Journal of Physical Oceanography
Rumyantseva A
(2015)
Ocean nutrient pathways associated with the passage of a storm
in Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Buckingham C
(2016)
Seasonality of submesoscale flows in the ocean surface boundary layer
in Geophysical Research Letters
Brannigan L
(2017)
Submesoscale Instabilities in Mesoscale Eddies
in Journal of Physical Oceanography
Evans D
(2018)
Annual Cycle of Turbulent Dissipation Estimated from Seagliders
in Geophysical Research Letters
Durgadoo J
(2019)
Strategies for simulating the drift of marine debris
in Journal of Operational Oceanography
| Description | Numerical models suggest that the impact of kilometre-scale (in the horizontal) eddies may be to increase the depth of the ocean surface mixed layer as well as decrease it. Both baroclinic and symmetric instabilities are responsible for generating these eddies. Observations show a strong seasonal cycle in the vigour of this kilometre-scale turbulence. A new parameterization of vertical mixing in the surface ocean mixed-layer that takes specific account of the interaction between waves and wind gives realistic simulations of the annual cycle of mixed layer depth. |
| Exploitation Route | The new parameterization of vertical mixing in the surface ocean mixed-layer can be implemented into global ocean and then coupled climate models, where it will give better representation of the ocean and may give us a more accurate prediction of the Earth's response to increasing atmospheric C02. |
| Sectors | Environment |