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Turning ocean mixing upside down

Citation

Ferrari, R and Mashayek, A and McDougall, TJ and Nikurashin, M and Campin, J-M, Turning ocean mixing upside down, Journal of Physical Oceanography, 46 pp. 2239-2261. ISSN 0022-3670 (2016) [Refereed Article]

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DOI: doi:10.1175/JPO-D-15-0244.1

Abstract

It is generally understood that small-scale mixing, such as is caused by breaking internal waves, drives upwelling of the densest ocean waters that sink to the ocean bottom at high latitudes. However, the observational evidence that the strong turbulent fluxes generated by small-scale mixing in the stratified ocean interior are more vigorous close to the ocean bottom boundary than above implies that small-scale mixing converts light waters into denser ones, thus driving a net sinking of abyssal waters. Using a combination of theoretical ideas and numerical models, it is argued that abyssal waters upwell along weakly stratified boundary layers, where small-scale mixing of density decreases to zero to satisfy the no-density flux condition at the ocean bottom. The abyssal ocean meridional overturning circulation is the small residual of a large net sinking of waters, driven by small-scale mixing in the stratified interior above the bottom boundary layers, and a slightly larger net upwelling, driven by decay of small-scale mixing along the boundary layers. The crucial importance of upwelling along boundary layers in closing the abyssal overturning circulation is the main finding of this work.

Item Details

Item Type:Refereed Article
Keywords:ocean mixing, overturning circulation, upwelling, downwelling, bottom boundary layers
Research Division:Earth Sciences
Research Group:Oceanography
Research Field:Physical Oceanography
Objective Division:Environment
Objective Group:Climate and Climate Change
Objective Field:Climate Change Models
Author:Nikurashin, M (Dr Maxim Nikurashin)
ID Code:109406
Year Published:2016
Funding Support:Australian Research Council (DE150100937)
Deposited By:Centre for Oceans and Cryosphere
Deposited On:2016-06-14
Last Modified:2016-12-08
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