Ekman Spiral in Horizontally Inhomogeneous Ocean with Varying Eddy Viscosity

Abstract

Classical Ekman spiral is generated by surface wind stress with constant eddy viscosity in homogeneous ocean. In real oceans, the eddy viscosity varies due to turbulent mixing caused by surface wind and buoyancy forcing. Horizontally inhomogeneous density produces vertical geostrophic shear which contributes to current shear that also affects the Ekman spiral. Based on the similar theoretical framework as the classical Ekman spiral, the baroclinic components of the Ekman spiral caused by the horizontally inhomogeneous density are obtained analytically with the varying eddy viscosity calculated from surface wind and buoyancy forcing using the KProfile Parameterization (KPP). Along with the three existing types of eddy viscosity due to pure wind forcing (zero surface buoyancy flux), such an effect is evaluated using the climatological monthly mean data of surface wind stress, buoyancy flux, ocean temperature and salinity, and mixed layer depth.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2015
Accession Number
ADA620047

Entities

People

  • Peter Cheng Chu

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arabian Sea
  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Boundary Layer
  • Buoyancy
  • Differential Equations
  • Gulf Stream
  • High Latitudes
  • Mixing
  • Ocean Currents
  • Ocean Waves
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Probability Density Functions
  • Sea Water
  • Stresses
  • Turbulent Mixing
  • Wind Stress

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Tribology (the study of the boundary interaction between sliding surfaces, lubrication, wear and friction).