Contamination of finescale strain estimates of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation by frontal physics (original) (raw)

Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 2022

Abstract

Finescale strain parameterization (hereafter, FSP) of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate has become a widely used method for observing ocean mixing, solving a coverage problem where direct turbulence measurements are absent but CTD profiles are available. This method can offer significant value, but there are limitations in its broad application to the global ocean. FSP often fails to produce reliable results in frontal zones where temperature-salinity (T/S) intrusive features contaminate the CTD strain spectrum, as well as where the aspect ratio of the internal wave spectrum is known to vary greatly with depth, as frequently occurs in the Southern Ocean. In this study we use direct turbulence measurements from DIMES (Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean) and glider microstructure measurements from AUSSOM (Autonomous Sampling of Southern Ocean Mixing) to show that FSP can have large biases (compared to direct turbulence measurement) below the mixed ...

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