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Microstructure measurements in the mid‐depth waters of the North Pacific
Author(s) -
Nagasawa Maki,
Hibiya Toshiyuki,
Yokota Kanako,
Tanaka Yuki,
Takagi Shogo
Publication year - 2007
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 - 10.1029/2006gl028695
Subject(s) - ridge , geology , trough (economics) , oceanography , paleontology , economics , macroeconomics
Microstructure measurements from the surface down to maximum depths of ∼2000 m were carried out at 28 locations in the interior of the North Pacific. Special attention was directed to the diapycnal diffusivities K ρ in the significant generation regions of the semidiurnal internal tide such as the Aleutian Ridge, the Hawaiian Ridge, and the Izu‐Ogasawara Ridge. In the profiles obtained near the Aleutian Ridge, only a few turbulent patches with ɛ ≥ 10 −9 Wkg −1 were detected and K ρ was generally less than 10 −5 m 2 s −1 . In the profiles obtained near the Hawaiian Ridge, many turbulent patches with ɛ ≥ 10 −9 Wkg −1 were observed, although K ρ was generally of the order of 10 −5 m 2 s −1 . Along the Izu‐Ogasawara Trough running in parallel with the Izu‐Ogasawara Ridge, in contrast, remarkably intense turbulent mixing (ɛ ∼ 10 −8 Wkg −1 , K ρ = 10 −4 ∼ 10 −3 m 2 s −1 ) was common throughout the observed water depth.