Measurement and Analysis of the Energy-Containing Eddies of Turbulent Flows in the Coastal Ocean,
Abstract
Acoustic remote sensing techniques now allow measurement of the three-dimensional velocity field associated with the large-scale eddies of turbulent geophysical flows in the coastal ocean. Such techniques, continuous in time and requiring a minimum of technical supervision, are essential for assessment of turbulent coastal regimes, because of short space and time scales of variability. Algorithms under development should provide estimates of kinetic energy E, length scales, and kinetic energy dissipation rate epsilon of the turbulence, as well as the shear dU/dz of the mean flow. Recent addition of a towed CTD allows a direct measurement of buoyancy flux ave(rho' w), a major goal of ocean microscale measurements over the last two decades. Preliminary data are available to compare this direct measurement with the widely used estimate ave(rho' w) = 0.2(rho sub 0) epsilon/g, made from measurements of dissipation rate.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 16, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADP008727
Entities
People
- Ann E. Gargett
Organizations
- Institute of Ocean Sciences