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Observational estimates of turbulent mixing in the Southeast Indian Ocean

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posted on 2023-05-21, 02:45 authored by Ajitha Cyriac, Helen PhillipsHelen Phillips, Nathaniel BindoffNathaniel Bindoff, Mao, H, Feng, M

This study investigates the spatiotemporal variability of turbulent mixing in the eastern south Indian Ocean using a collection of data from electromagnetic autonomous profiling explorer (EM-APEX) profiling floats, shipboard CTD, and microstructure profilers. The floats collected 1566 profiles of temperature, salinity, and horizontal velocity data down to 1200 m over a period of about four months. A finescale parameterization is applied to the float and CTD data to estimate turbulent mixing. Elevated mixing is observed in the upper ocean, over bottom topography, and in mesoscale eddies. Mixing is enhanced in the anticyclonic eddies due to trapped near-inertial waves within the eddy. We found that cyclonic eddies contribute to turbulent mixing in the depth range of 500–1000 m, which is associated with downward-propagating internal waves. The mean diapycnal diffusivity over 250–500-m depth is O(10−6) m2 s−1, and it increases to O(10−5) m2 s−1 in 500–1000 m in cyclonic eddies. The turbulent mixing in this region has implications for water-mass transformation and large-scale circulation. Higher diffusivity [O(10−5) m2 s−1] is observed in the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) layer in cyclonic eddies, whereas weak diffusivity is observed in the Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) layer [O(10−6) m2 s−1]. Counterintuitively, then, the SAMW water-mass properties are strongly affected in cyclonic eddies, whereas the AAIW layer is less affected. Comparatively high diffusivity at the location of the South Indian Countercurrent (SICC) jets suggests there are wave–mean flow interactions in addition to the wave–eddy interactions that warrant further investigation.

Funding

Department of Environment and Energy (Cwth)

History

Publication title

Journal of Physical Oceanography

Volume

51

Issue

7

Pagination

2103-2128

ISSN

0022-3670

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Amer Meteorological Soc

Place of publication

45 Beacon St, Boston, USA, Ma, 02108-3693

Rights statement

Copyright 2021 American Meteorological Society. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Repository Status

  • Open

Socio-economic Objectives

Oceanic processes (excl. in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean)

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