Accession Number:

ADA026461

Title:

The Influence of Energetic Mesoscale Eddies on the Ocean Thermal Structure

Descriptive Note:

Master's thesis

Corporate Author:

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA

Personal Author(s):

• Christensen, Willine E.

Report Date:

1976-03-01

Pagination or Media Count:

57.0

Abstract:

The influence of internal heating by mesoscale eddies on the oceanic temperature structure is tested by including a vertical heat transport term, WT, in the ocean thermal budget equation. In the past studies of the thermocline problem, the heat transport term has been neglected. Analytical and numerical test cases were run solving the heat equation with and without the mesoscale eddy transport term for baroclinic and barotropic conditions in the ocean. Whenever heating by mesoscale eddies was included in the heat equation, excessive cooling occurred in the upper 1000 m of the ocean. The results of the test cases indicate that the eddies do have a distinct influence on the oceans thermal structure and need to be included in solutions to the heat equation for the ocean.

Descriptors:

• *HEAT TRANSFER
• *OCEANS
• ADVECTION
• AIR WATER INTERACTIONS
• BOUNDARY LAYER
• COOLING
• DENSITY
• DIFFUSION
• HEATING
• MATHEMATICAL MODELS
• PRESSURE
• TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
• THERMOCLINES
• THERMODYNAMICS
• THESES
• TURBULENCE

Subject Categories:

• Physical and Dynamic Oceanography

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE