| The eddy heat flux generated by the statistically equilibrated baroclinic instability of a uniform, horizontal temperature gradient is studied using a two-mode quasigeostrophic model. An overview of the dependence of the eddy diffusivity of heat Dtau on the planetary potential vorticity gradient beta, the bottom friction kappa, the deformation radius lambda, the vertical shear of the large-scale flow 2U and the domain size L is provided at 70 numerical simulations with beta = 0 (f-plane) and 110 simulations with beta ≠ 0 (beta-plane).; Strong, axisymmetric, well-separated baroclinic vortices dominate the equilibrated barotropic vorticity and temperature fields of f-plane turbulence. The heat flux arises from a systematic northward (southward) migration of anti-cyclonic (cyclonic) eddies with warm (cold) fluid trapped in the cores. Zonal jets form spontaneously on the beta-plane, and stationary, isotropic, jet-scale eddies align within the strong eastward-flowing regions of the jets. In both studies, the vortices and jets give rise to a strong anti-correlation between the barotropic vorticity zeta and the temperature field tau. The baroclinic mode is also an important contributor to dissipation by bottom friction and energizes the barotropic mode at scales larger than lambda. This in part explains why previous parameterizations for the eddy heat flux based on Kolmogorovian cascade theories are found to be unreliable.; In a separate study, temperature and salinity profiles obtained with expendable conductivity, temperature and depth (XCTD) probes within Drake Passage, Southern Ocean are used to analyze the turbulent diapycnal eddy diffusivity kappa rho to a depth of 1000 meters. The Polar Front separates two dynamically different regions with strong, surface-intensified mixing north of the Front. South of the Polar Front mixing is weaker and peaks at a depth of approximately 500 m, near the local temperature maximum. Peak values of kapparho are found to exceed 10-3 m2 s -1. Wind-driven near-inertial waves, mesoscale eddies and thermohaline intrusions are discussed as possible factors contributing to observed mixing patterns. |
