Global cascade of kinetic energy in the ocean and the atmospheric imprint.

Storer, Benjamin A, Buzzicotti, Michele, Khatri, Hemant ORCID: 0000-0001-6559-9059, Griffies, Stephen M and Aluie, Hussein (2023) Global cascade of kinetic energy in the ocean and the atmospheric imprint. Science advances, 9 (51). eadi7420-eadi7420.

Access the full-text of this item by clicking on the Open Access link.

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi7420

Abstract

Here, we present an estimate for the ocean's global scale transfer of kinetic energy (KE), across scales from 10 to 40,000 km. Oceanic KE transfer between gyre scales and mesoscales is induced by the atmosphere's Hadley, Ferrel, and polar cells, and the intertropical convergence zone induces an intense downscale KE transfer. Upscale transfer peaks at 300 gigawatts across mesoscales of 120 km in size, roughly one-third the energy input by winds into the oceanic general circulation. Nearly three quarters of this "cascade" occurs south of 15°S and penetrates almost the entire water column. The mesoscale cascade has a self-similar seasonal cycle with characteristic lag time of ≈27 days per octave of length scales; transfer across 50 km peaks in spring, while transfer across 500 km peaks in summer. KE of those mesoscales follows the same cycle but peaks ≈40 days after the peak cascade, suggesting that energy transferred across a scale is primarily deposited at a scale four times larger.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Environmental Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	30 Jan 2024 10:08
Last Modified:	30 Jan 2024 10:58
DOI:	10.1126/sciadv.adi7420
Open Access URL:	http://10.0.4.102/sciadv.adi7420
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3178081