Ocean Mixing

Drivers, Mechanisms and Impacts

1st Edition - September 16, 2021
Imprint: Elsevier
Editors: Michael Meredith, Alberto Naveira Garabato
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 2 1 5 1 2 - 8
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 2 1 5 1 3 - 5

Ocean Mixing: Drivers, Mechanisms and Impacts presents a broad panorama of one of the most rapidly-developing areas of marine science. It highlights the state-of-the-art concer… Read more

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Ocean Mixing: Drivers, Mechanisms and Impacts presents a broad panorama of one of the most rapidly-developing areas of marine science. It highlights the state-of-the-art concerning knowledge of the causes of ocean mixing, and a perspective on the implications for ocean circulation, climate, biogeochemistry and the marine ecosystem. This edited volume places a particular emphasis on elucidating the key future questions relating to ocean mixing, and emerging ideas and activities to address them, including innovative technology developments and advances in methodology.

Ocean Mixing is a key reference for those entering the field, and for those seeking a comprehensive overview of how the key current issues are being addressed and what the priorities for future research are. Each chapter is written by established leaders in ocean mixing research; the volume is thus suitable for those seeking specific detailed information on sub-topics, as well as those seeking a broad synopsis of current understanding. It provides useful ammunition for those pursuing funding for specific future research campaigns, by being an authoritative source concerning key scientific goals in the short, medium and long term. Additionally, the chapters contain bespoke and informative graphics that can be used in teaching and science communication to convey the complex concepts and phenomena in easily accessible ways.

Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
List of contributors
Editors' biographies
Professor Mike Meredith
Professor Alberto Naveira Garabato
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1: Ocean mixing: oceanography at a watershed
Abstract
References
Chapter 2: The role of ocean mixing in the climate system
Abstract
2.1. Introduction
2.2. The role of ocean mixing in shaping the contemporary climate mean state
2.3. Ocean mixing and transient climate change
2.4. Ocean mixing in past climate states
2.5. Summary and conclusion
References
Chapter 3: The role of mixing in the large-scale ocean circulation
Abstract
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Flavours of mixing
3.3. Non-dissipative theories of ocean circulation
3.4. How can mixing shape circulation?
3.5. Where is mixing most effective at shaping circulation?
3.6. Some impacts on basin-scale overturning circulation
3.7. Some impacts on basin-scale horizontal circulation
3.8. Conclusions
References
Chapter 4: Ocean near-surface layers
Abstract
Acknowledgements
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Mixing layers and mixed layers in theory
4.3. Observing the surface layers and their processes
4.4. Modelling surface layers and their processes
4.5. Global perspective
4.6. Outlook
References
Chapter 5: The lifecycle of surface-generated near-inertial waves
Abstract
Acknowledgements
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Generation of near-inertial waves at the surface
5.3. Propagation of near-inertial waves out of the mixed layer
5.4. Interactions of near-inertial waves with variable stratification, other internal waves, and mean flows in the interior
5.5. Dissipation of near-inertial waves
5.6. Discussion
5.7. Conclusions and outstanding questions
References
Chapter 6: The lifecycle of topographically-generated internal waves
Abstract
Acknowledgements
6.1. Introduction
6.2. Generation
6.3. Internal tide propagation and an integral estimate of decay
6.4. Wave-wave interactions
6.5. Wave-mean flow interactions
6.6. Wave-topography interaction
6.7. Conclusions and outstanding questions
References
Chapter 7: Mixing at the ocean's bottom boundary
Abstract
Acknowledgements
7.1. Introduction
7.2. Common ground
7.3. Implications of the bottom intensification of ocean mixing for upwelling: buoyancy budgets for bottom-intensified mixing
7.4. Production mechanisms for boundary mixing
7.5. Discussion
References
Chapter 8: Submesoscale processes and mixing
Abstract
Acknowledgements
8.1. Introduction
8.2. Life-cycle of submesoscale fronts
8.3. Redistribution of density and restratification at the submesoscale
8.4. Redistribution of passive tracers and particles
8.5. Conclusion and future directions
References
Chapter 9: Isopycnal mixing
Abstract
Acknowledgements
9.1. Introduction
9.2. Background concepts
9.3. Mechanisms of isopycnal stirring and dissipation
9.4. Frameworks for thinking about isopycnal mixing
9.5. Observational estimates of isopycnal mixing
9.6. Simulation-based estimates
9.7. Impacts of isopycnal mixing
9.8. Summary and future directions
References
Chapter 10: Mixing in equatorial oceans
Abstract
10.1. Introduction
10.2. Ocean turbulence peaks at the equator, or does it?
10.3. Mixing in the cold tongues: diurnal forcing of turbulence below the mixed layer
10.4. The concepts of marginal instability and self-organised criticality and how they apply to mixing in the cold tongues
10.5. The importance of inertia-gravity waves and flow instabilities
10.6. Westerly wind bursts in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific
10.7. Variations on subseasonal, seasonal and interannual timescales
10.8. Equatorial mixing in large-scale models
10.9. Shortcomings, surprises and targets for future investigation
References
Chapter 11: Mixing in the Arctic Ocean
Abstract
Acknowledgements
11.1. Introduction
11.2. Foundations
11.3. Key findings
11.4. Grand challenges
11.5. Conclusions
References
Chapter 12: Mixing in the Southern Ocean
Abstract
Acknowledgements
12.1. Introduction
12.2. Large-scale context: foundations
12.3. Upper cell: mixed-layer transformations
12.4. Interior mixing: regional and mesoscale processes
12.5. Interior mixing: closing the budgets through turbulence at the smallest scales
12.6. Grand challenges
Short bios of authors
References
Chapter 13: The crucial contribution of mixing to present and future ocean oxygen distribution
Abstract
Acknowledgements
13.1. Introduction
13.2. Role of mixing in oxygen minimum zones
13.3. Role of mixing on global deoxygenation
13.4. Response of OMZ to global warming
13.5. Conclusions and grand challenges
References
Chapter 14: New technological frontiers in ocean mixing
Abstract
14.1. Introduction
14.2. Current and historical measurements of mixing
14.3. Recent technological developments: novel methods
14.4. Future outlook
14.5. Conclusions
References
Index

Michael Meredith

Professor Mike Meredith is an oceanographer and Science Leader at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in Cambridge, UK. He is head of the Polar Oceans team at BAS, which has research foci on determining the role of the polar oceans on global climate, the ice sheets, and the interdisciplinary ocean system. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Bristol, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and a NERC Individual Merit Promotion (Band 2) scientist. He has published more than 200 papers in international journals, and was the inaugural Chair of the Southern Ocean Observing System. He led the design and delivery of the multi-institute ORCHESTRA programme, which is unravelling the role of the Southern Ocean in controlling global climate. He was recently coordinating lead author for the IPCC Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. In 2018, Mike was awarded the Tinker-Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica, in recognition of his contributions to the study of the Southern Ocean and its global impacts, and the Challenger Medal, for his contributions to marine science.

Affiliations and expertise

Oceanographer and Science Leader, British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Cambridge, UK

Alberto Naveira Garabato

Professor Alberto Naveira Garabato is an oceanographer interested in the processes governing ocean circulation and its role in climate. His group’s research focuses on unravelling the dynamics connecting the breadth of scales of oceanic flow— from small-scale turbulence to the basin-scale circulation—through the development and application of new approaches to measure the ocean. He holds a Chair of Physical Oceanography at the University of Southampton, and is an Honorary Fellow of the British Antarctic Survey. His work has been recognised with the Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award of the European Geosciences Union (2008), an Honorary Fellowship of the Challenger Society (2010), a Philip Leverhulme Prize (2010) and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit award (2014). He was the lead proponent of the RoSES programme, which is assessing the role of the Southern Ocean in the global carbon cycle. He is the founding director of the NEXUSS Centre of Doctoral Training, which is training 45 PhD students at 10 UK institutions in the use of cutting-edge sensor and autonomous system technologies for environmental science.

Affiliations and expertise

Professor of Physical Oceanography, University of Southampton, and Director, NEXUSS Centre of Doctoral Training, Smart and Autonomous Observation of the Environment

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