Oceanic Fine- and Microstructure

摘要: As recently as 20 years ago, we assumed that such oceanic parameters temperature (T), salinity (S), and other chemical properties varied smoothly with depth. Earlier observational data came from widely spaced water bottle samples reversing thermometers, curves drawn through the discrete points obtained in this way were taken to represent actual state of ocean. Newly developed instruments have shown, however, vertical distributions are often very far smooth typically consist a series quasihomogeneous. nearly horizontal layers, separated by regions which gradients much larger. These variations, layer scales ranging about meter several hundred meters, now called finestructure; they most prominent vicinity fronts, across there large variations T S. Fluctuations temperature, salinity, velocity representing on scale 10 centimeters smaller also been measured using rapidly responding sensors, these constitute turbulent microstructure.