Collaborative Research: Evaluating mechanisms for enhanced mixing below tropical instability waves

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This project supports an oceanographic field campaign in the tropical Pacific to make high temporal and spatial resolution measurements from moorings and ship of the oceanic velocity, density, and microstructure. Observations will be made of westward propagating oceanic fronts in the presence of Tropical Instability Waves (TIW) to better understand their influence on mixing and modulation of oceanic internal waves. The proposed work has important implications for understanding the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the role of the tropical oceans in climate. Education and outreach for this project will include mentoring a graduate student and postdoc, science presentations at local high schools, mentorship for Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) interns, and participation in the Ocean Discovery Institute homework assistance program.This project addresses the dynamic processes that govern the observed modulation of internal waves, and turbulent mixing, by TIWs in the equatorial Pacific and the potential effects on heat regulation and ENSO predictability. Mechanisms to be studied include radiation of downward propagating internal waves from TIWs, modulation of the internal wave field by TIWs, and the fate of the internal waves in the presence of critical layers. The observational campaign will employ moorings, ship-mounted acoustics, ship-based profiling systems including a rapid profiling CTD (fastCTD) and a turbulence profiler (Epsilometer), and three autonomous drifting wave-powered profilers (WireWalkers). Three moorings will be deployed for a year north of the operational 140°W Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) mooring to target the seasonal cycle in the TIW modulation of internal waves and mixing.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.