Mixing, dissipation and scale interactions in the oceanic circulation from an integrated theoretical and observational perspective

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Ocean circulation is the product of a myriad of processes operating at an enormous range of space and time scales. These range from basin-scale forcing patterns that drive the large-scale currents, to centimetre-scale turbulence that drives ocean mixing and dissipation. A major focus of recent research has been to quantify the large-scale forcing of the global circulation. However, the small-scale mechanisms of mixing and dissipation, as well as the multi-scale processes responsible for the transfer of energy from large to small scales, are of equal importance in governing ocean circulation and the ocean's role in the climate system. These processes remain poorly understood and, as a consequence, inadequately represented in climate models.