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Heat transport through diffusive interfaces
Author(s) -
Flanagan Jason D.,
Lefler Angela S.,
Radko Timour
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/grl.50440
Subject(s) - extant taxon , heat flux , mechanics , boundary (topology) , series (stratigraphy) , flux (metallurgy) , range (aeronautics) , boundary value problem , boundary current , physics , heat transfer , environmental science , geology , statistical physics , climatology , materials science , mathematics , ocean current , mathematical analysis , paleontology , quantum mechanics , evolutionary biology , metallurgy , composite material , biology
We perform a series of 3‐D Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) to assess the vertical heat transport through thermohaline staircases in the Arctic Ocean. The diagnostics of DNS, performed for the first time in the realistic parameter range, result in vertical fluxes exceeding those of extant “four‐thirds flux laws” by as much as a factor of 2 and suggest that the 4/3 exponent may require downward revision. Through a series of equivalent 2‐D DNS, we show that they are consistent with their more resource‐intensive 3‐D counterparts for sufficiently large density ratio ( R ρ ) but underestimate heat transport for low R ρ . Finally, we examine the role of boundary conditions in controlling the vertical heat transport. Rigid boundaries—a necessary ingredient in laboratory‐derived flux‐laws—are shown to reduce the estimates of heat fluxes relative to the corresponding periodic boundary conditions.