Elucidating Dynamical Processes Relevant to the Flow Encountering Abrupt Topography (FLEAT)
Abstract
This proposal seeks participation in the ONR’s new DRI: Flow Encountering Abrupt Topography (FLEAT). We propose to leverage the observational results and improved knowledge obtained from the on-going ONR-DRI “Origins for Kuroshio and Mindanao Currents (OKMC)” project to address questions relevant to the FLEAT objectives. Spe- cific research tasks will include collecting all hydrographic and profiling float casts in the Philippine Sea basin surrounding the Ogasawara-Mariana-Yap Ridge, and constructing a high-resolution (i.e., mesoscale-resolving), full water-column, temperature-salinity dataset. The goal is to identify novel ocean circulation features of multiple spatial scales near the major regional topography. Based on analyses of this newly constructed T/S dataset, we propose to address dynamical questions, such as the interaction between mesoscale eddies and seamounts, the validity of the vorticity constraint known as “the island rule”, and how topographically-enhanced turbulent mixing affects the broad-scale subthermocline circula- tions. To address these dynamical questions, we propose to utilize both the multi-decadal output from the eddy-resolving OGCM for Earth Simulator (OFES), as well as a simplified, process-oriented, dynamical model. By combining the data analysis and numerical modeling, this proposed research will directly contribute to the two research themes set out by the FLEAT DRI: (1) understand and quantify large-scale and mesoscale processes that govern the low-latitude current in- teractions with topography, and (2) evaluate the need and methods for down-scaling in models of this region.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141512315
Entities
People
- Bo Qiu
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Hawaiʻi System