Estimates of Energy Dissipation Rates in the Three-Dimensional Deep Ocean Internal Wave Field |
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| Authors: | Watanabe Michio Hibiya Toshiyuki |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Using the “Eikonal Approach” (Henyey et al., 1986), we estimate energy dissipation rates in the three-dimensional Garrett-Munk internal wave field. The total energy dissipation rate within the undisturbed GM internal wave field is found to be 4.34 × 10−9 W kg−1. This corresponds to a diapycnal diffusivity of about 0.3 × 10−4 m2s−1, which is less than the value 10−4 m2s−1 required to sustain the global ocean overturning circulation. Only when the high vertical wavenumber, near-inertial current shear is enhanced can diapycnal diffusivity reach ∼10−4 m2s−1. It follows that the energy supplied at low vertical wavenumbers and low frequencies is efficiently transferred to high vertical wavenumbers and near-inertial frequencies in the mixing hotspots in the real ocean. |
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| Keywords: | Turbulence diffusivity and mixing processes internal and inertial waves nonlinear dynamics numerical modeling Eikonal Approach |
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