Microstructure observations near upwelled fronts indicate considerable variation in the structure of
vertical mixing across the frontal region. Observations of cool filaments off northern California
indicate that within the cool (dense) core of filaments the raised pycnocline inhibits the penetration to
middepths of surface-generated mixing. The microstructure profiles are used...
Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability, characterized by the distinctive finite-amplitude billows it generates, is an important mechanism in the development of turbulence in the stratified interior of the ocean. In particular, it is often assumed that the onset of turbulence in internal waves begins in this way. Clear recognition of the importance...
Twelve days of microstructure measurements at the equator (140°W) in November 1984 showed a
surprisingly strong effect of both daily cycle of solar heating and wind on mixing in the upper ocean.
Because of limited variations in atmospheric forcing and currents during the experiment, processes in the
daily mixing cycle...
Varied observations over Oregon’s continental shelf illustrate the
beauty and complexity of geophysical flows in coastal waters. Rapid, creative, and
sometimes fortuitous sampling from ships and moorings has allowed detailed looks
at boundary layer processes, internal waves (some extremely nonlinear), and coastal
currents, including how they interact. These processes drive...
Measurements of currents and turbulence beneath a geostationary ship in the equatorial Indian Ocean during a period of weak surface forcing revealed unexpectedly strong turbulence beneath the surface mixed layer. Coincident with the turbulence was a marked reduction of the current speeds registered by shipboard Doppler current profilers, and an...
As currents flow over rough topography, the pressure difference between the up-and downstream sides results in form drag-a force that opposes the flow. Measuring form drag is valuable because it can be used to estimate the loss of energy from currents as they interact with topography. An array of bottom...
Twelve days of microstructure measurements at the equator (140°W) in November 1984 showed a
surprisingly strong effect of both the daily cycle of solar heating and wind on mixing in the upper ocean.
Because of limited variations in atmospheric forcing and currents during the experiment, processes in the
daily mixing...
In this paper, measurements of high-frequency
broadband (160–590 kHz) acoustic backscattering from surface
trapped nonlinear internal waves of depression are presented.
These waves are ideal for assessing the contribution from oceanic
microstructure to scattering as they are intensely turbulent.
Almost coincident direct microstructure measurements were performed
and zooplankton community structure...
From measurements of the energy‐containing scales of turbulence in the ocean thermocline, two new formulations are examined: (1) an inviscid estimate for the viscous dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy and (2) a mixing length estimate for the turbulent heat flux. These formulations are tested using coincident measurements of the...
Barotropic tidal currents flowing over rough topography may be slowed by two bottom boundary–related processes: tangential stress of the bottom boundary layer, which is generally well represented by a quadratic drag law, and normal stress from bottom pressure, known as form drag. Form drag is rarely estimated from oceanic observations...