SHEAR MICROSTRUCTURE AND TOWED BODY MEASUREMENTS OF INTERNAL WAVES AND TURBULENCE IN THE BEAUFORT SEA
Abstract
We propose to conduct ship-based microstructure measurements with our Modular Microstructure Profiler (MMP) and Shallow Water Integrated Mapping System (SWIMS-II) to directly measure turbulent heat fluxes in the Arctic ocean interior, which are necessary for accurate estimates of air-sea exchange and future ice cover. Our recent NSF/OPP-funded measurements aboard R/V Sikuliaq suggest that elevated turbulence in the Beaufort occurs, moving from top to bottom: i) extremely strongly at the base of the surface mixed layer; ii) above and below thermocline eddies; iii) where near-inertial waves (NIW) are breaking and iv) in submarine canyons and near rough topography. We propose a set of high-resolution shipboard process studies to understand these processes, their relative importance, and how their resultant flux divergence impacts upper-ocean stratification in the emerging Arctic.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141612378
Entities
People
- Matthew H. Alford
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California, San Diego