Pilot Study to Assess Current Understanding of Lateral Mixing in the Ocean
Abstract
The objective of the pilot study was to assess the state of our understanding of processes contributing to lateral mixing in the ocean on scales of 10 m 10 km, and their effect on physical and biological variables by conferring with experts in the biological and physical oceanography communities. Our goals were to produce an up-to-date, comprehensive picture of what is understood about small-scale lateral mixing in the ocean, assess what processes are not yet fully understood and require further scrutiny, identify outstanding research directions related to this topic, and make recommendations on how to proceed forward. The pilot study has culminated in the writing of a white paper, entitled Lateral Mixing at Scales of 10m-10km: A Way Forward . This white paper includes (i) a summary of the state-of-the-science of small-scale lateral mixing and an assessment of a broad range of observational and numerical (small-scale and regional-scale) perspectives, (ii) the formulation of a challenge to the oceanographic community on this topic, and (iii) a list of recommendations on how to address the challenge with an integrated numerical modeling and field program. A description of the major points addressed in the white paper is given in the following sections.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA630989
Entities
People
- Kathleen A. Edwards
- M. Lelong
- Miles A. Sundermeyer
Organizations
- Northwest Research Associates