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New production stimulated by high‐frequency winds in a turbulent mesoscale eddy field
Author(s) -
Lévy M.,
Klein P.,
Ben Jelloul M.
Publication year - 2009
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 - 10.1029/2009gl039490
Subject(s) - mesoscale meteorology , advection , inertial wave , forcing (mathematics) , turbulence , new production , mixed layer , atmospheric sciences , eddy diffusion , geology , meteorology , environmental science , physics , phytoplankton , nutrient , wave propagation , mechanical wave , longitudinal wave , chemistry , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
Using an idealized model of an oligotrophic open‐ocean region characterized by intense sub‐mesoscale turbulence, we show that the presence of energetic near‐inertial motions, forced by high‐frequency winds, triggers transient nutrient inputs in the surface mixed‐layer, stimulating new production. We also show that this production increase is larger than the increase due to the Ekman transport resulting from a slow‐evolving wind forcing. The nutrient supplies are due to the interaction between near‐inertial motions and the sub‐mesoscale frontogenetic dynamics that reinforces both the vertical advection and vertical diffusion, especially within sub‐mesoscales features. The net result is an uplift of new production from the subsurface to the mixed‐layer. A direct consequence is that the sub‐mesoscale filamentary patterns of phytoplankton should become much more observable from space in the presence of high‐frequency winds.