Double Diffusion in the Arabian Sea during Winter and Spring

Abstract

Abstract Microstructure measurements from two cruises during winter and spring 2019 documented the importance of double-diffusion processes for small-scale mixing in the upper 400 m of the open-ocean region of the eastern Arabian Sea (EAS) below the mixed layer. The data indicated that shear-driven mixing rates are weak, contributing diapycnal diffusivity (Kρ) of not more than 5.4 × 10−6 m2 s−1 in the EAS. Instead, signatures of double diffusion were strong, with the water column favorable for salt fingers in 70% of the region and favorable for diffusive convection in 2%–3% of the region. Well-defined thermohaline staircases were present in all the profiles in these regions that occupied 20% of the water column. Strong diffusive convection favorable regime occurred in ∼45% of data in the barrier layer region of the southern EAS (SEAS). Comparison of different parameterizations of double diffusion with the measurements of vertical heat diffusivity (KT) found that the Radko and Smith salt fingering scheme and the Kelley diffusive convection scheme best match with the observations. The estimates based on flux law show that the combination of downward heat flux of approximately −3 W m−2 associated with salt fingering in the thermocline region of the EAS and the upward heat flux of ∼5 W m−2 due to diffusive convection in the barrier layer region of the SEAS cools the thermocline.