In:
Journal of Physical Oceanography, American Meteorological Society, Vol. 39, No. 11 ( 2009-11-01), p. 3040-3045
Abstract:
Wind-induced near-inertial energy has been believed to be an important source for generating the ocean mixing required to maintain the global meridional overturning circulation. In the present study, the near-inertial energy budget in a realistic model of the North Atlantic Ocean driven by synoptically varying wind forcing is examined. The authors find that nearly 70% of the wind-induced near-inertial energy at the sea surface is lost to turbulent mixing within the top 200 m and, hence, is not available to generate diapycnal mixing at greater depth. Assuming this result can be extended to the global ocean, it is estimated that the wind-induced near-inertial energy available for ocean mixing at depth is, at most, 0.1 TW. This confirms a recent suggestion that the role of wind-induced near-inertial energy in sustaining the global overturning circulation might have been overemphasized.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1520-0485
,
0022-3670
DOI:
10.1175/2009JPO4259.1
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Meteorological Society
Publication Date:
2009
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2042184-9
detail.hit.zdb_id:
184162-2
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