Process study of vertical mixing near the sea floor inside the central valley of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 37°N

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Vertical mixing associated with dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy sustains the circulation of the deep and abyssal ocean. New evidence is emerging that the highest mixing rates are found within the central valleys and ridge flank (transform) canyons of mid-oceanic ridge systems. An expedition is proposed to take place in August 2010 during which near-bottom oceanographic and marine-geologic measurements will be carried out in the central valley of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 37°N, using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), complemented by “classical” lowered and mooring-based techniques. It is currently unclear, which physical mechanisms control the intense turbulent dissipation in deep ocean canyons. Recent studies point to a potential role of hydraulic jumps, which have been observed in shallow water studies. We aim at testing whether tidally varying hydraulic jumps can explain the observed large vertical mixing over a sill in the central valley. To resolve the jumps AUV-based high-resolution horizontal fields of near-bottom turbulent kinetic energy dissipation and of flow velocities will be obtained. Further, high-resolution AUV multi-beam echosounder mapping will allow us to study (i) the relationship between vertical mixing processes and the bathymetry, and (ii) the dynamic processes underlying the “mixing active” morphology.