A conjecture on the role of bottom-enhanced diapycnal mixing in the parameterization of geostrophic eddies

Marshall, D. P. and Naveira Garabato, A. C.


abstract: The parameterization of geostrophic eddies represents a large sink of energy in most ocean models, yet the ultimate fate of this eddy energy in the ocean remains unclear. The authors conjecture that a significant fraction of the eddy energy may be transferred to internal lee waves and oscillations over rough bottom topography, leading to bottom-enhanced diapycnal mixing. A range of circumstantial evidence in support of this conjecture is presented and discussed. The authors further propose a modification to the Gent and McWilliams eddy parameterization to account for the bottom-enhanced diapycnal mixing.

@article{Marshall-NaveiraGarabato-2008,
  author = {Marshall, D. P. and Naveira~Garabato, A. C.},
  title = {A conjecture on the role of bottom-enhanced diapycnal mixing in the parameterization of geostrophic eddies},
  journal = {J. Phys. Ocean.},
  year = {2008},
  pages = {1607--1613},
  volume = {38},
  issue = {7},
  doi = {10.1175/2007JPO3619.1},
  url = {https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/37585/}
}