The LANS‐alpha turbulence model in primitive‐equation ocean modeling

The Lagrangian‐Averaged Navier‐Stokes alpha (LANS‐ α ) and Leray turbulence parameterizations are demonstrated in a primitive‐equation ocean model using an idealized channel domain. For LANS‐ α , turbulence statistics such as kinetic energy, eddy kinetic energy, and temperature profiles resemble doubled‐resolution statistics with the standard model. In a North Atlantic domain with realistic topography, the Leray model increases eddy activity. The LANS‐ α and Leray models show great promise to improve heat transport and temperature distributions in global ocean‐climate simulations, as these processes depend on better resolution of eddies near the grid‐scale. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)