Mapping the Energy Cascade in the North Atlantic Ocean: The Coarse-Graining Approach

Journal Article · Fri Jan 26 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Journal of Physical Oceanography

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-17-0100.1· OSTI ID:1418186

Aluie, Hussein ^[1]; Hecht, Matthew ^[2]; Vallis, Geoffrey K. ^[3]

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1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, and, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
2. Computational Physics and Methods (CCS-2), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
3. College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom

A coarse-graining framework is implemented to analyze nonlinear processes, measure energy transfer rates and map out the energy pathways from simulated global ocean data. Traditional tools to measure the energy cascade from turbulence theory, such as spectral flux or spectral transfer rely on the assumption of statistical homogeneity, or at least a large separation between the scales of motion and the scales of statistical inhomogeneity. The coarse-graining framework allows for probing the fully nonlinear dynamics simultaneously in scale and in space, and is not restricted by those assumptions. This study describes how the framework can be applied to ocean flows.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0014318; NA0001944; 20150568ER; HiLAT project; AC52-06NA25396
• OSTI ID: 1418186
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1411355
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-17-24117
• Journal Information: Journal of Physical Oceanography, Journal Name: Journal of Physical Oceanography Vol. 48 Journal Issue: 2; ISSN 0022-3670
• Publisher: American Meteorological Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
Earth Sciences