Collaborative Research: Mixing in the Equatorial Thermocline (MIXET)

合作研究：赤道温跃层的混合（MIXET）

• 批准号: 1029722
• 负责人: Kelvin Richards
• 金额: $ 99.72万
• 依托单位: University of Hawaii
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-09-01 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1029722&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Mixing; Equatorial; Thermocline

The project is a combined observational and modeling study of small-vertical-scale velocity structures (SVSs) in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The PIs have very strong credentials, prior accomplishments , and have designed a comprehensive field experiment and numerical process studies to achieve their goals. The observations will be made using an array of moorings with profiling sensors that move on the mooring lines, and instrument deployments during two cruises to measure ocean structure, currents, and microstructure turbulence. Numerical modeling will be used to test the formation of SVSs by wind forcing, shear instability, and instabilities of internal gravity waves. The project has strong intellectual merit in both the topic of study and the synergy between observations and modeling.Intellectual Merit: The robustness of climate predictions depends on the effectiveness of atmosphere and ocean models to capture the essential physics of the problem. The strong relationship between the coupled ocean/atmosphere system and ocean mixing means that mixing has to be right. For instance, the linking of thermocline mixing to wind variability through NIO propagation raises the possibility of scale?interactions producing significant feedbacks between ENSO and small?scale mixing. The work has the potential to yield transformative results on the processes that control the mixing of heat and momentum in the equatorial oceans, which is pertinent to attempts to model and predict changes in climate. The proposal includes the training and mentorship of a graduate student. The student will gain skills in linking observations and models which are vitally important in improving the reliability of models used in societally relevant science. Outreach activities will include: a web site publicizing the science behind the project and results, the inclusion of results in courses given by the PIs, and an invitation to a local high school teacher to participate in one or more cruises. Overall this project is a bold and comprehensive approach to studying poorly understood oceanic features with wide ranging implications for oceanography and climate.

该项目是对赤道太平洋小垂直尺度速度结构进行观测和模拟研究的综合项目。 PI具有非常强的证书，先前的成就，并设计了一个全面的现场实验和数值过程研究，以实现他们的目标。观测将使用一系列系泊设备进行，这些设备带有在系泊线上移动的剖面传感器，并在两次巡航期间部署仪器，以测量海洋结构、海流和微观结构湍流。数值模拟将用于测试风强迫，剪切不稳定性和内部重力波的不稳定性形成的SVS。 该项目在研究主题以及观测和模拟之间的协同作用方面都具有很强的智力价值。智力价值：气候预测的稳健性取决于大气和海洋模型的有效性，以捕捉问题的基本物理学。耦合的海洋/大气系统和海洋混合之间的密切关系意味着混合必须是正确的。例如，温跃层混合通过NIO传播与风变率的联系增加了规模的可能性？相互作用产生重大反馈之间ENSO和小？尺度混合这项工作有可能在控制赤道海洋热量和动量混合的过程方面产生变革性成果，这与建立气候变化模型和预测气候变化的努力有关。 该提案包括培训和指导一名研究生。学生将获得将观察和模型联系起来的技能，这对于提高社会相关科学中使用的模型的可靠性至关重要。外联活动将包括：一个网站，公布项目背后的科学和结果，将结果纳入PI提供的课程，并邀请当地高中教师参加一次或多次巡航。总的来说，该项目是一个大胆而全面的方法来研究对海洋学和气候具有广泛影响的知之甚少的海洋特征。