CMG COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: From internal waves to mixing in the ocean

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

The contribution of internal waves to the rate of tracer transport in the ocean is investigated using a multi-pronged approach that combines mathematical wave?mean interaction theory, physical modeling, numerical simulation, and comparison with observational field data. Specific topics to be studied include the vertical and horizontal mixing of tracers induced by breaking internal waves, the horizontal dispersion of tracers by non-breaking internal waves, and the structure and transport induced by waves generated by geostrophic flow over topography. Intellectual merit The proposed research is timely and motivated firstly because of the current and increasing availability of high-resolution ocean data, and secondly because of the current dawning of an era of gravity-wave-permitting ocean models. In such models we can anticipate in the coming years the emergence of numerical gravity waves, albeit at the threshold of the model resolution. This research is anticipated to provide better guidance and an improved framework in which to interpret sub-mesoscale observations both in the field and in high-resolution numerical models. Investigating these issues also raises new mathematical research questions, for instance in the area of non-Gaussian wave theory. So this project is a conceptual two-way link between intertwining mathematical and geophysical research trajectories. Broader impact Results from this theoretical study may feed into the future design of next-generation ocean forecasting systems for weather and climate, which is of great societal importance. On the educational side, training in advanced mathematics and applied science is paramount to the research elements of this proposal. The proposal includes training of a post-doctoral researcher and a PhD student as well as provision for merit-based stipends for advanced undergraduates interested in research experiences. Experience shows that such early research experiences on topics of fundamental importance can trigger an undergraduate's decision to apply for graduate school in mathematics or in another natural science.