Article Dans Une Revue Science Advances Année : 2022

Direct observational evidence of an oceanic dual kinetic energy cascade and its seasonality

Résumé

The ocean’s turbulent energy cycle has a paradox; large-scale eddies under the control of Earth’s rotation transfer kinetic energy (KE) to larger scales via an inverse cascade, while a transfer to smaller scales is needed for dissipation. It has been hypothesized, using simulations, that fronts, waves, and other turbulent structures can produce a forward cascade of KE toward dissipation scales. However, this forward cascade and its coexistence with the inverse cascade have never been observed. Here, we present the first evidence of a dual KE cascade in the ocean by analyzing in situ velocity measurements from surface drifters. Our results show that KE is injected at two dominant scales and transferred to both large and small scales, with the downscale flux dominating at scales smaller than ∼1 to 10 km. The cascade rates are modulated seasonally, with stronger KE injection and downscale transfer during winter.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
sciadv.abq2566.pdf (1.89 Mo) Télécharger le fichier
Origine Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)

Dates et versions

hal-03866821 , version 1 (20-01-2025)

Licence

Identifiants

Citer

Dhruv Balwada, Jin-Han Xie, Raffaele Marino, Fabio Feraco. Direct observational evidence of an oceanic dual kinetic energy cascade and its seasonality. Science Advances , 2022, 8 (41), ⟨10.1126/sciadv.abq2566⟩. ⟨hal-03866821⟩
25 Consultations
0 Téléchargements

Altmetric

Partager

More