Global Patterns of Diapycnal Mixing from Measurements of the Turbulent Dissipation Rate

Abstract The authors present inferences of diapycnal diffusivity from a compilation of over 5200 microstructure profiles. As microstructure observations are sparse, these are supplemented with indirect measurements of mixing obtained from (i) Thorpe-scale overturns from moored profilers, a finescale parameterization applied to (ii) shipboard observations of upper-ocean shear, (iii) strain as measured by profiling floats, and (iv) shear and strain from full-depth lowered acoustic Doppler current profilers (LADCP) and CTD profiles. Vertical profiles of the turbulent dissipation rate are bottom enhanced over rough topography and abrupt, isolated ridges. The geography of depth-integrated dissipation rate shows…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: 0825266, 0927650, OCE-1029722, 1029483, OCE-1029483, 0968721, OCE-0927650, 1029722, OCE-0968721
• SR
  Sight Research UK

  Awards: NE/B503717/1, NE/E007058/1, NE/G001510/1
• NE
  Natural Environment Research Council

  Awards: NE/G001510/1, NE/B503717/1, NE/E007058/1, NE/G001510/1