Oceanic turbulence: Big bangs or continuous creation?

摘要: In a discussion of the turbulence characteristics patches ‘microstructure’ in ocean, hypothesis advocated by Gibson (1982), that are produced very rare but extremely powerful turbulence-generating events which usually have ‘fossilized’ before their observation, is contrasted with field driven at time and scale it observed. this ‘continuous creation’ notion, no means original here, driving energy converted to kinetic such way observed overturning thickness LT linearly related length (e/N3)1/2, where e dissipation rate N buoyancy frequency. (This relationship does not hold boundary layers, another scale, distance from boundary, imposed.) If largest vertical eddies N−1, parameters its effects can be estimated measurement LT. For example, would proportional LT2N3, eddy diffusivity LT2N. Careful attention must paid sampling process assumptions. ‘Fossilized’ regions expected, sense these had previously been sites stronger than present consideration fossilization necessary for interpretation microstructure data.