Turbulence and Internal Tides on the Continental Slope

Abstract : My interest is in oceanic processes that contribute to stirring and mixing in order to understand their impact on larger scales. This includes phenomena ranging from the meso- (10 km) to the microscale (1 cm), with an emphasis on their interactions, including internal waves, tides, potential-vorticity-carrying finestructure (vortical mode), turbulence and double diffusion. My recent focus has been on how meso- and finescale flow fields interact with complex topography such as seamounts, canyons, ridges and the continental slope. Mixing in the stratified ocean interior is too weak to close the meridional thermohaline circulation (Ledwell et al. 1998). I am exploring whether topographically-enhanced turbulent mixing might be sufficient to do so, and determining what mechanisms are responsible for its generation.