Collaborative Research: Numerical Simulations of Small-Scale Stirring: Internal Waves, Diapycnal Mixing, and Horizontal Fine Structure

摘要：我们对海洋中100米至10公里尺度上的横向色散的理解相对较少受到关注，尽管事实上横向色散在海洋中许多性质的时空分布中起着重要作用。参与这项研究的科学家们最近的工作已经开始阐明横向色散背后的物理学，但我们仍然缺乏对更大尺度场、内波场和密度表面混合之间关系的定量理解。在这项研究中，来自NWRI和麻省大学的科学家。达特茅斯学院的研究人员将进行以过程为导向的数值模拟，以解释能量如何在不同的运动尺度之间转移。这项研究的一个重要目标是发展参数化，以便更大规模的海洋模型可以准确地解释这些过程，而不必解决它们。更广泛的影响：横向扩散控制着各种各样的问题，包括营养物混合的速度，有害藻华或其他污染物的动态和扩散，以及商业鱼类资源的补充。因此，这项研究将提高我们理解和预测影响我们日常生活质量的各种科学问题的能力。此外，通过与加州大学洛杉矶分校的同事合作，本研究中开发的参数化将被纳入一个广泛使用的区域海洋模型。最后，本研究包括几个重要的教育活动，包括指导学生的研究项目和丰富课程。

ABSTRACTOCE-0623620Intellectual Merit: Our understanding of lateral dispersion in the ocean on scales between 100's of meters and 10's of kilometers has received relatively little attention, despite the fact that lateral dispersion plays an important role in the spatial and temporal distribution of many properties in the ocean. Recent work by the scientists involved in this study has begun to illucidate the physics behind lateral dispersion, but we still lack a quantitative understanding of the relationship between the larger scale field, the internal wave field, and mixing across density surfaces. In this study, scientists from NWRI and U. Mass. Dartmouth, will conduct process-oriented numerical simulations to account for how energy is transferred between different scales of motion. An important goal of this study is the development of parameterizations so that larger-scale models of the ocean can accurately account for these processes without having to resolve them. Broader Impacts: Lateral dispersion governs a variety of problems including the rates at which nutrients are mixed, the dynamics and spreading of harmful algal blooms or other contaminants, and the recruitment of commercial fish stocks. Thus, this study will improve our ability to understand and predict a variety of scientific problems that affect the quality of our everyday life. In addition, through collaboration with colleagues at UCLA, the parameterizations to be developed in this study will be incorporated into a widely-used regional ocean model. Finally, the study includes several important educational activities including the mentoring of students in a research project and the enrichment of curriculum.