NSFGEO-NERC: Transfer of energy from the ocean mesoscale to the internal wave field by stimulated loss of balance

人们对海洋能源收支还没有很好的了解，海洋能源库的内容和相互之间的流量也存在不确定性。由风、潮汐和地形相互作用引起的内波存在于整个海洋中，约占海洋能量收支的10%，其余90%与中尺度涡旋有关。为了达到稳态，进入系统的相同数量的能量必须离开系统;然而，移除的方法并不清楚。这组研究人员最近获得的结果表明，能量从中尺度流转移到近惯性波。这种能量损失也被称为受激平衡损失（SLOB），它影响中尺度流动。该项目旨在量化海洋内波对中尺度流的影响，并确定内潮是否也作为能量转移的来源。研究人员计划利用理论和数值模拟来研究内波在中尺度能量收支中的作用。从这一提议中获得的知识将加强对内波的理解，内波可用于推进气候模型。更好地了解内部潮汐可能也会导致对卫星高度计数据的更准确的解释。两名博士后研究助理将通过该项目受益于最先进的物理海洋学和应用数学培训。该项目支持斯克里普斯海洋学研究所和爱丁堡大学之间的国际合作。该研究小组的最新研究结果表明，中尺度气流对近惯性波的平流和折射必然伴随着能量从中尺度气流向惯性波的转移。理论和数值分析将被用来开发一个模型，耦合内部波动力学与平衡的中尺度流，以了解能量转移从中尺度水库通过SLOB内波。该项目的具体目标是：评估和发展SLOB在中尺度能量收支中起主要作用的假设，并通过内波谱的组成部分，特别是内潮，研究SLOB。所提出的方法也将有助于技术的发展和评估，具有广泛的适用性，多尺度的问题，涉及波的散射和转换的湍流。作为该项目的结果，将获得对SLOB在海洋能源预算中所起作用的定量了解。

The ocean energy budget is not well understood and there is uncertainty in the content of and fluxes between ocean energy reservoirs. Internal waves, which result from wind, tides and topographic interactions, are present throughout the ocean and contain about 10% of the ocean energy budget while the remaining 90% is associated with mesoscale eddies. In order to reach steady-state, the same amount of energy entering the system must leave the system; however, the method of removal is not clear. This group of researchers has recently obtained results that suggest a transfer of energy from the mesoscale flow to near-inertial waves. This loss of energy is also known as the stimulated loss of balance (SLOB), which influences mesoscale flow. This project seeks to quantify the impact of ocean internal waves on mesoscale flow as well as determine if internal tides also act as a source of energy transfer. The researchers plan to utilize theory and numerical simulations to investigate the role of internal waves in the mesoscale energy budget. The knowledge gained from this proposal will enhance understanding of internal waves, which can be used to advance climate models. A better understanding of internal tides will likely lead to more accurate interpretations of satellite altimeter data as well. Two postdoctoral research assistants will benefit from state-of-the-art physical oceanography and applied mathematics training through this project. This project supports an international collaboration between Scripps Institute of Oceanography and the University of Edinburgh. The resulting models and model output will be made available to other researchers for teaching and learning purposes.Recent results produced by this group of researchers show that the advection and refraction of near-inertial waves by mesoscale flow is necessarily accompanied by a transfer of energy from the mesoscale flow to the inertial waves. Theoretical and numerical analyses will be used to develop a model that couples internal wave dynamics with that of balanced mesoscale flow to understand energy transfers from the mesoscale reservoir to internal waves via SLOB. The specific objectives of this project are to: assess and develop the hypothesis that SLOB plays a major role in the mesoscale energy budget, and to investigate SLOB by components of the internal wave spectrum, particularly the internal tide. The proposed methodology will also aid in the development and assessment of techniques with broad applicability to multi-scale problems involving the scattering and transformation of waves by turbulent flows. As a result of this project, a quantitative understanding of the role played by SLOB in the ocean energy budget will be obtained.