2004 LOM Workshop

Tuesday 10:20 - 11:30 a.m. Poster Session

A comparison of two vertical mixing schemes: Turner's vs. K-profile parameterization

Xiaobiao Xu, Eric Chassignet
RSMAS, Univ. of Miami
xbxu@rsmas.miami.edu

ABSTRACT

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The ocean interior is characterized almost everywhere by very slow mixing, thus describing the diapycnal diffusion in our numerical models is straightforward. In some extreme case, for example, the gravity current generated by overflow of dense water from marginal seas, however, exhibit intense entrainment, double or even quadrupling their volume flux within a few days. Describing this vigorous entrainment is more difficult because it occurs across very sharp density gradients. And the entrainment is absolutely critical in determining the water mass properties that fill the open ocean. In isopycnal coordinate model frame, there are two options: Turner's (1986) and K-profile parameterization, both of them are Ri-dependent. In an idealized 2-D experiment, dramatically different results are found from these two schemes. Possible reasons are analyzed and short suggestion for improvement is presented.

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LOM Users' Workshop, February 9-11, 2004