Modeling Ocean Deep Convection

Abstract

The goal of this study is to assess models for Deep Convection with special emphasis on their use in coarse resolution ocean general circulation models. A model for deep convection must contain both vertical transport and lateral advection by mesoscale eddies generated by baroclinic instabilities. The first process operates mostly in the initial phases while the second dominates the final stages. Here the emphasis is on models for vertical mixing. When mesoscales are not resolved, they are treated with the Gent and McWilliams parameterization. The model results are tested against the measurements of Lavender, Davis and Owens, 2002 (LDO) in the Labrador Sea. Specifically, we shall inquire whether the models are able to reproduce the region of "deepest convection," which we shall refer to as DC (mixed layer depths 800-1300m). The region where it was measured by Lavender et al. (2002) will be referred to as the LDO region.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2004
Accession Number
ADA430133

Entities

People

  • A. Howard
  • M. S. Dubovikov
  • Patrick J. Hogan
  • V. M. Canuto
  • Yan Cheng

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Advection
  • Boundary Layer
  • Buoyancy
  • Climate Change
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Convection
  • Deep Oceans
  • Deep Water
  • Equations
  • Geography
  • Heat Flux
  • Instability
  • Internal Waves
  • Labrador Sea
  • Measurement
  • Oceans
  • Stratified Fluids

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Oceanography.