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Critical role for mesoscale eddy diffusion in supplying oxygen to hypoxic ocean waters
Author(s) -
Gnanadesikan Anand,
Bianchi Daniele,
Pradal MarieAude
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.50998
Subject(s) - thermocline , diffusion , environmental science , mesoscale meteorology , oxygen , eddy diffusion , geology , oceanography , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , turbulence , chemistry , physics , thermodynamics , organic chemistry
Estimates of the oceanic lateral eddy diffusion coefficient A redi vary by more than an order of magnitude, ranging from less than a few hundred m 2 /s to thousands of m 2 /s. This uncertainty has first‐order implications for the intensity of oceanic hypoxia, which is poorly simulated by the current generation of Earth System Models. Using satellite‐based estimate of oxygen consumption in hypoxic waters to estimate the required diffusion coefficient for these waters gives a value of order 1000 m 2 /s. Varying A redi across a suite of Earth System Models yields a broadly consistent result given a thermocline diapycnal diffusion coefficient of 1 × 10 −5 m 2 /s.