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

合作研究：评估热带不稳定波下方增强混合的机制

• 批准号: 2048660
• 负责人: Caitlin Whalen
• 金额: $ 107.42万
• 依托单位: University of Washington
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2048660&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Evaluating; mechanisms; enhanced

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.

该项目支持热带太平洋的海洋学实地活动，以便从系泊设备和船舶上对海洋速度、密度和微结构进行高时空分辨率的测量。将在热带不稳定波（TIW）存在的情况下观测向西传播的海洋锋，以更好地了解它们对海洋内波混合和调制的影响。拟议的工作对理解厄尔尼诺南方涛动（ENSO）和热带海洋在气候中的作用具有重要意义。该项目的教育和推广将包括指导一名研究生和博士后，在当地高中进行科学演讲，指导本科生（REU）实习生的研究经验，并参与海洋发现研究所的家庭作业援助计划。赤道太平洋TIWs的影响以及对热量调节和ENSO可预报性的潜在影响。要研究的机制包括辐射的向下传播的内部波从TIWs，调制的内部波场的TIWs，和在临界层的存在下的内部波的命运。观测活动将采用系泊、船载声学、船基剖面系统，包括一个快速剖面CTD（fastCTD）和一个湍流剖面仪（Epsilometer），以及三个自主漂移波能剖面仪（WireWalkers）。三个系泊装置将在运行中的140°W热带大气海洋（TAO）系泊装置以北部署一年，以针对TIW调制内波和混合的季节性周期。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。