Density Structure Associated with Salt Fingers.
Abstract
This thesis presents direct measurements of the small scale temperature and velocity signatures of salt fingers. These data were collected by a turbulence package and a Neil Brown Instruments System (NBIS) CTD mounted on the USS DOLPHIN, near San Diego (32 deg 46.1 min N, 117 deg 34.2 min W) in April of 1982. The observed CTD data enabled us to determine the relative contributions of salinity and temperature to the local density stratification. The observed small scale temperature and velocity data were examined to find signatures which might be due to salt fingers. Then the CTD data from the depth of these signatures were examined to verify whether the mean water properties were suitable for fingering to have occurred. The regions corresponding to six observed patches of potential fingers were located on the T-S plot. All occurred where salinity and temperature decrease with depth. This result supports their identification as fingers. The results suggest that one group of the salt fingers has a horizontal extent of at least 300m and a vertical extend of less than 1m.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA137465
Entities
People
- S. I. Lee
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School