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

Storer, Benjamin A.; Buzzicotti, Michele; Khatri, Hemant; Griffies, Stephen M.; Aluie, Hussein

doi:10.1126/sciadv.adi7420

Title: Global cascade of kinetic energy in the ocean and the atmospheric imprint

Journal Article · 20 December 2023 · Science Advances

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi7420 · OSTI ID:2280844

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Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)
Tor Vergata Univ. of Rome (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Rome (Italy)
Univ. of Liverpool (United Kingdom)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Princeton, NJ (United States). Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory; Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)
Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics

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.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0003856; NA0003914; NA0004134; 80NSSC18K0772; OCE-2123496; SC0014318; SC0020229; SC0019329; PHY-2020249; PHY-2206380

OSTI ID:: 2280844

Journal Information:: Science Advances, Vol. 9, Issue 51; ISSN 2375-2548

Publisher:: AAASCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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