Enhanced Diapycnal Diffusivity in Intrusive Regions of the Drake Passage
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Merrifield-2016-Enhanced diapycnal.pdf
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Author(s)
Laurent, Louis St.
Owens, Breck
Thurnherr, Andreas M.
Toole, John M.
Merrifield, Sophia Tiare
Date Issued
April 2016
Journal
Journal of Physical Oceanography
Publisher
American Meteorological Society
Citation
Merrifield, Sophia T. et al. “Enhanced Diapycnal Diffusivity in Intrusive Regions of the Drake Passage.” Journal of Physical Oceanography 46.4 (2016): 1309–1321. © 2016 American Meteorological Society
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Direct measurements of oceanic turbulent parameters were taken upstream of and across Drake Passage, in the region of the Subantarctic and Polar Fronts. Values of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate ε estimated by microstructure are up to two orders of magnitude lower than previously published estimates in the upper 1000 m. Turbulence levels in Drake Passage are systematically higher than values upstream, regardless of season. The dissipation of thermal variance χ is enhanced at middepth throughout the surveys, with the highest values found in northern Drake Passage, where water mass variability is the most pronounced. Using the density ratio, evidence for double-diffusive instability is presented. Subject to double-diffusive physics, the estimates of diffusivity using the Osborn–Cox method are larger than ensemble statistics based on ε and the buoyancy frequency.
MIT Department
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-15-0068.1
