Shear and Strain Finestructure Near a Seamount
Abstract
LONG-TERM GOAL. My interests are in oceanic phenomena ranging from the meso- to the microscale that contribute to mixing and stirring, with a focus on their interactions. These include internal waves, potential-vorticity-carrying finestructure, turbulence, double diffusion, bottom topography and surface forcing. Parameterization of the impact of "subgridscale" processes on larger scales. SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES. The recent focus has been on understanding how topography interacts with the meso- and finescale flow fields in the surrounding ocean. APPROACH. Profile measurements collected over the summit and flanks of Fieberling Seamount during the ONR-sponsored Topographic Interactions program have been analysed to isolate an anticyclonic vortex, diurnal shear and intensified turbulence co-existing in a 200-m thick layer overlying the summit plain. This work has been in collaboration with Drs. John Toole, Ray Schmitt and Kurt Polzin (WHOI). Analytic theory has been developed to explain the diurnal shear layer as a vortex-trapped near-inertial near-inertial internal wave (with Dr. Emmanuel Boss (UW)), and to explore the effect of vertical geostrophic shear on propagation of near-inertial internal waves. Geometric arguments have been used to estimate the local and global impact of bottom-intensified mixing in the stratified ocean.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA633501
Entities
People
- Eric Kunze
Organizations
- University of Washington