Publication Abstracts

Canuto 2015

Canuto, V.M., 2015: PV dynamics: The role of small-scale turbulence, submesoscales and mesoscales. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 120, no. 10, 6971-6985, doi:10.1002/2015JC011043.

The diabatic and frictional components of the PV fluxes J in the Haynes-McIntyre conservation law have been studied with physical arguments, scaling laws and numerical simulations. We suggest a procedure that expresses J in terms of buoyancy and momentum fluxes by small-scale turbulence SS, submesoscales SM and mesoscales M. We employ the latest parameterizations of these processes and derive analytic expressions of the diabatic and frictional J fluxes for arbitrary wind stresses; we then consider the case of an Ekman flow. Small-scale turbulence: at z=0, down and up-front winds contribute equally to the frictional component of J while the diabatic component is much larger than that of mesoscales. Submesoscales: the geostrophic contributions to both diabatic and frictional J have the same sign while the wind contributions have opposite signs. Their magnitude depends on the SM kinetic energy which is derived in terms of large-scale parameters. Comparison with numerical simulations is limited since the ones available resolve M but not SM. They concluded that the field patterns of the J fluxes are very similar to those obtained without resolving M, in agreement with the present analysis; a second conclusion that the diabatic component of J is an order of magnitude larger than the frictional one, is also in accordance with present results. When wind stresses are accounted for, down-front winds lower PV and up-front winds increase it. The changes in Hoskins' criterion for the onset of symmetric instabilities are discussed.

Export citation: [ BibTeX ] [ RIS ]

BibTeX Citation

@article{ca04520u,
  author={Canuto, V. M.},
  title={PV dynamics: The role of small-scale turbulence, submesoscales and mesoscales},
  year={2015},
  journal={Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans},
  volume={120},
  number={10},
  pages={6971--6985},
  doi={10.1002/2015JC011043},
}

[ Close ]

RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - ca04520u
AU  - Canuto, V. M.
PY  - 2015
TI  - PV dynamics: The role of small-scale turbulence, submesoscales and mesoscales
JA  - J. Geophys. Res. Oceans
JO  - Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
VL  - 120
IS  - 10
SP  - 6971
EP  - 6985
DO  - 10.1002/2015JC011043
ER  -

[ Close ]

• Return to 2015 Publications

• Return to Publications Homepage