On the Loss of Wind-Induced Near-Inertial Energy to Turbulent Mixing in the Upper Ocean

Author:

Zhai Xiaoming1,Greatbatch Richard J.1,Eden Carsten1,Hibiya Toshiyuki2

Affiliation:

1. IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel, Germany

2. Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Abstract

Abstract Wind-induced near-inertial energy has been believed to be an important source for generating the ocean mixing required to maintain the global meridional overturning circulation. In the present study, the near-inertial energy budget in a realistic model of the North Atlantic Ocean driven by synoptically varying wind forcing is examined. The authors find that nearly 70% of the wind-induced near-inertial energy at the sea surface is lost to turbulent mixing within the top 200 m and, hence, is not available to generate diapycnal mixing at greater depth. Assuming this result can be extended to the global ocean, it is estimated that the wind-induced near-inertial energy available for ocean mixing at depth is, at most, 0.1 TW. This confirms a recent suggestion that the role of wind-induced near-inertial energy in sustaining the global overturning circulation might have been overemphasized.

Publisher

American Meteorological Society

Subject

Oceanography

Reference28 articles.

1. Improved global maps and 54-years history of wind-work on ocean inertial motions.;Alford;Geophys. Res. Lett.,2003

2. Redistribution of energy available for ocean mixing by long-range propagation of internal waves.;Alford;Nature,2003

3. Beta dispersion of inertial waves.;Anderson;J. Geophys. Res.,1979

4. Deep equatorward propagation of inertial oscillations.;Chiswell;Geophys. Res. Lett.,2003

5. Propagation of wind energy into the deep ocean through a fully turbulent mesoscale eddy field.;Danioux;J. Phys. Oceanogr.,2008

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3