FN Archimer Export Format
PT J
TI Tracer stirring around a meddy: The formation of layering
BT 
AF MEUNIER, Thomas
   MENESGUEN, Claire
   SCHOPP, Richard
   LE GENTIL, Sylvie
AS 1:1;2:1;3:1;4:1;
FF 1:;2:PDG-ODE-LPO;3:;4:PDG-ODE-LPO;
C1 IFREMER, Lab Phys Oceans, F-29280 Plouzane, Brittany, France.
C2 IFREMER, FRANCE
   UBO, FRANCE
   CNRS, FRANCE
SI BREST
SE PDG-ODE-LPO
UM LOPS
IN WOS Ifremer jusqu'en 2018
   copubli-france
   copubli-univ-france
IF 3.026
TC 28
UR https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00255/36599/35160.pdf
LA English
DT Article
DE ;Circulation/ Dynamics;Advection;Dynamics;Atm/Ocean Structure/ Phenomena;Vortices;Models and modeling;Primitive equations model;Quasigeostrophic models;Tracers
AB The dynamics of the formation of layering surrounding meddy-like vortex lenses is investigated using primitive equation (PE), quasigeostrophic (QG), and tracer advection models. Recent in situ data inside a meddy confirmed the formation of highly density-compensated layers in temperature and salinity at the periphery of the vortex core. Very high-resolution PE modeling of an idealized meddy showed the formation of realistic layers even in the absence of double-diffusive processes. The strong density compensation observed in the PE model, in good agreement with in situ data, suggests that stirring might be a leading process in the generation of layering. Passive tracer experiments confirmed that the vertical variance cascade in the periphery of the vortex core is triggered by the vertical shear of the azimuthal velocity, resulting in the generation of thin layers. The time evolution of this process down to scales of O(10) m is quantified, and a simple scaling is proposed and shown to describe precisely the thinning down of the layers as a function of the initial tracer column's horizontal width and the vertical shear of the azimuthal velocity. Nonlinear QG simulations were performed and analyzed for comparison with the work of Hua et al. A step-by-step interpretation of these results on the evolution of layering is proposed in the context of tracer stirring.
PY 2015
PD FEB
SO Journal Of Physical Oceanography
SN 0022-3670
PU Amer Meteorological Soc
VL 45
IS 2
UT 000349546200006
BP 407
EP 423
DI 10.1175/JPO-D-14-0061.1
ID 36599
ER

EF