2026-09-19T08:03:45Zhttps://dspace.mit.edu/server/oai/request

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/707722022-01-13T07:54:24Zcom_1721.1_7582com_1721.1_7581col_1721.1_131022

John Marshall. Abernathey, Ryan (Ryan Patrick) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences 2012-05-15T21:11:11Z 2012-05-15T21:11:11Z 2012 2012 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70772 790514424 Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2012. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-175). Mesoscale eddies mix and transport tracers such as heat and potential vorticity laterally in the ocean. While this transport plays an important role in the climate system, especially in the Southern Ocean, we lack a, comprehensive understanding of what sets mixing rates. This thesis seeks to advance this understanding through three related studies. First, mixing rates are diagnosed from an eddy-resolving state estimate of the Southern Ocean, revealing a meridional cross-section of effective diffusivity shaped by the interplay between eddy propagation and mean flow. Effective diffusivity diagnostics are then applied to quantify surface mixing rates globally, using a, kinematic model with velocities derived from satellite observations; the diagnosed mixing rates show a rich spatial structure, with especially strong mixing in the tropics and western-boundary-current regions. Finally, an idealized numerical model of the Southern Ocean is analyzed, focusing on the response to changes in win( stress. The sensitivity of the meridional overturning circulation to the wind changes demonstrates the importance of properly capturing eddy mixing rates for large-scale climate problems. by Ryan Abernathey. Ph.D. 175 p. eng Massachusetts Institute of Technology M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. Mixing by ocean eddies Thesis application/pdf false Publication unknown unknown <Publication xmlns="https://www.openaire.eu/cerif-profile/1.1/" id="499aa443-13f9-49be-a06c-33cef647e955"> <Type xmlns="https://www.openaire.eu/cerif-profile/vocab/COAR_Publication_Types">http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_1843</Type> <Language>eng</Language> <Title>Mixing by ocean eddies</Title> <PublishedIn> <Publication> </Publication> </PublishedIn> <PublicationDate>2012</PublicationDate> <Authors> <Author> <DisplayName>Abernathey, Ryan (Ryan Patrick)</DisplayName> <Affiliation> <OrgUnit> </OrgUnit> </Affiliation> </Author> </Authors> <Editors> </Editors> <Publishers> <Publisher> <DisplayName>Massachusetts Institute of Technology</DisplayName> <OrgUnit /> </Publisher> </Publishers> <License>http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582</License> <Keyword>Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.</Keyword> <Abstract>Mesoscale eddies mix and transport tracers such as heat and potential vorticity laterally in the ocean. While this transport plays an important role in the climate system, especially in the Southern Ocean, we lack a, comprehensive understanding of what sets mixing rates. This thesis seeks to advance this understanding through three related studies. First, mixing rates are diagnosed from an eddy-resolving state estimate of the Southern Ocean, revealing a meridional cross-section of effective diffusivity shaped by the interplay between eddy propagation and mean flow. Effective diffusivity diagnostics are then applied to quantify surface mixing rates globally, using a, kinematic model with velocities derived from satellite observations; the diagnosed mixing rates show a rich spatial structure, with especially strong mixing in the tropics and western-boundary-current regions. Finally, an idealized numerical model of the Southern Ocean is analyzed, focusing on the response to changes in win( stress. The sensitivity of the meridional overturning circulation to the wind changes demonstrates the importance of properly capturing eddy mixing rates for large-scale climate problems.</Abstract> <Access xmlns="http://purl.org/coar/access_right" > </Access> </Publication>