Thermal Stratification in the Arctic Ocean

Neal, Victor T.; Neshyba, Steve; Denner, Warren W.

doi:10.1126/science.166.3903.373

Cited by 109 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…for flux computation and for tracing staircase extents, other methods might be more useful. These could be based on qualitative signatures that have been used informally for decades, based on finescale signatures on and ¡ profiles and in ¡ diagrams (Tait and Howe, 1968;Neal et al, 1969;Fedorov, 1970). Steppy profiles are often taken as evidence of thermohaline staircases of DDC origin, but some provisos are required.…”

Section: Detection Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is reminiscent of the Melling et al (1984) observation that tides are very weak in the Canadian Basin of the Arctic, where DL signatures are prominent. Indeed, Arctic sampling has provided many illustrations of layering in the ocean (Neal et al, 1969;Neshyba et al, 1971;Padman andDillon, 1987, 1989;Rudels et al, 1999). As is the case for the Antarctic, Arctic staircase fluxes appear to be weak compared with mixing rates expected in the open ocean.…”

Section: Lakes and Trenchesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further evidence is provided by decades of observations of distinctive Arctic fine-structure signatures that are arguably of DL character. The Arctic signatures include both staircases (Neal et al, 1969) and intrusions. The role of DDC seems clear in the staircases, but for the intrusions there may be other agencies involved, at least at the initial stages of formation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The diffusive regime of double-diffusive convection

Kelley

Fernando

Gargett

et al. 2003

Progress in Oceanography

170

187

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The diffusive regime of double-diffusive convection is reviewed, with a particular focus on issues that are holding up the development of large-scale parameterizations. Some of these issues, such as interfacial transports and layer-interface interactions, may be studied in isolation. Laboratory work should help with these. However, we must also face more difficult matters that relate to oceanic phenomena that are not easily represented in the laboratory. These lie beneath some fundamental questions about how double-diffusive structures are formed in the ocean, and how they evolve in the competitive ocean environment.

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Section: Detection Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Lakes and Trenchesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The diffusive regime of double-diffusive convection

Kelley

Fernando

Gargett

et al. 2003

Progress in Oceanography

170

187

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The ocean is most susceptible to diffusive convection in polar regions where observations are limited due to remoteness and the difficulty of profiling in ice. Also, the doublediffusive interfaces that have been observed in these regions are typically at depths of 100 to 350 meters (Neal et al, 1969;Muench et al, 1990;Robertson et al, 1995) making profiling slow and thus making traditional microstructure or optical measurements very time consuming. This line of inquiry could therefore benefit greatly from a remote sensing technique that increases the rate and resolution at which data are collected.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Laboratory observations of double-diffusive convection using high-frequency broadband acoustics

Ross

Lavery

2008

Exp Fluids

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High-frequency broadband (200-300 kHz) acoustic scattering techniques have been used to observe the diffusive regime of double-diffusive convection in the laboratory. Pulse compression signal processing techniques allow 1) centimetre-scale interface thickness to be rapidly, remotely, and continuously measured, 2) the evolution, and ultimate merging, of multiple interfaces to be observed at high-resolution, and 3) convection cells within the surrounding mixed layers to be observed. The acoustically measured interface thickness, combined with knowledge of the slowly-varying temperatures within the surrounding layers, in turn allows the direct estimation of double-diffusive heat and buoyancy fluxes. The acoustically derived interface thickness, interfacial fluxes and migration rates are shown to support established theory. Acoustic techniques complement traditional laboratory sampling methods and provide enhanced capabilities for observing the diffusive regime of double-diffusion in the ocean.

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“…When a stable salt gradient is heated from below (Turner, 1968), a series of mixed layers and interfaces forms staircase profiles in temperature and salinity. Heat supplied by intruded warm water at mid-depth is believed to cause the thermohaline steps observed in Arctic (Neal et al, 1969) and Antarctic (Muench et al, 1990) regions. The diffusive-convection system can be analyzed in terms of classic Rayleigh-Bernard convection, with the presence of salt delaying the onset of convection.…”

Section: The Double-diffusive Interface Tank a Double-diffusive Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

A double-diffusive interface tank for dynamic-response studies

Schmitt¹,

Millard²,

Toole³

et al. 2005

J Mar Res

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A large tank capable of long-term maintenance of a sharp temperature-salinity interface has been developed and applied to measurements of the dynamical response of oceanographic sensors. A two-layer salt-stratified system is heated from below and cooled from above to provide two convectively mixed layers with a thin double-diffusive interface separating them. A temperature jump exceeding 10°C can be maintained over 1-2 cm (a vertical temperature gradient of order 10 3°C /m) for several weeks. A variable speed-lowering system allows testing of the dynamic response of conductivity and temperature sensors in full-size oceanographic instruments. An acoustic echo sounder and shadowgraph system provide nondisruptive monitoring of the interface and layer microstructure. Tests of several sensor systems show how data from the facility is used to determine sensor response times using several fitting techniques and the speed dependence of thermometer time constants is illustrated. The linearity of the conductivity-temperature relationship across the interface is proposed as a figure of merit for design of lag-correction filters to accurately match temperature and conductivity sensors for the computation of salinity. The effects of finite interface thickness, slow sensor sampling rates and the thermal mass of the conductivity cell are treated. Sensor response characterization is especially important for autonomous instruments where data processing and compression must be performed in-situ, but is also helpful in the development of new sensors and in assuring accurate salinity records from traditional wire-lowered and towed systems.

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Thermal Stratification in the Arctic Ocean

Cited by 109 publications

References 4 publications

The diffusive regime of double-diffusive convection

The diffusive regime of double-diffusive convection

Laboratory observations of double-diffusive convection using high-frequency broadband acoustics

A double-diffusive interface tank for dynamic-response studies

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