This work is an attempt to diagnose the turbulence field of the equatorial Atlantic Ocean during the dry period when the mixed layer is more highly developed using the General Ocean Turbulence Model (GOTM). A relaxation scheme assimilates...
moreThis work is an attempt to diagnose the turbulence field of the equatorial Atlantic Ocean during the dry period when the mixed layer is more highly developed using the General Ocean Turbulence Model (GOTM). A relaxation scheme assimilates the vertical profiles of in situ observations (current velocity, sea temperature and salinity) during simulations. In the absence of direct turbulence observations and modeling studies of the equatorial Atlantic Ocean, the results are compared qualitatively to observed and simulated results for the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Similarities are noted between the Atlantic simulation and previous studies performed in the Pacific Ocean. The mechanism of nocturnal turbulence production, namely deepcycle turbulence, is well captured by GOTM simulations. This deep nocturnal turbulence appears rather suddenly during the night in the simulations and consequently seems to be unrelated to surface wind and radiation forcing.
