Mixing, Internal Waves and Mesoscale Dynamics in the East China Sea

摘要

The long-term goal of our research program is to better understand and quantify the relationships between mesoscale dynamics, internal waves, turbulence and topographic features of shallow, tidally affected regions of oceans. The objectives of the project during 2009 were: (i) to analyze the intermittency of turbulence in a tidal bottom boundary layer (TBBL) on a shallow shelf in the western (Chinese) sector of the East China Sea (ECS), (ii) to continue investigations on the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation rate very near the ocean floor, in particular the role of small-scale local bathymetry in small-scale mixing. The emphasis was on the area influenced by Changjiang (Yangtze River) Diluted Water (CDW). and (iii) to study mixing efficiency in stratified flows based on data available from atmospheric and oceanic field campaigns.