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The Thermohaline Finestructure of the Ocean

Pergamon Marine Series

1st Edition - January 1, 1978

Author: K. N. Fedorov

Editor: J. C. Swallow

eBook ISBN:

9 7 8 - 1 - 4 8 3 1 - 5 7 5 7 - 3

The Thermohaline Finestructure of the Ocean is a five-chapter text that describes the fine-scale stratification phenomenon in the ocean and the physical processes that participate… Read more

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The Thermohaline Finestructure of the Ocean is a five-chapter text that describes the fine-scale stratification phenomenon in the ocean and the physical processes that participate in its formation and govern its evolution. After an introduction to the concept of thermohaline finestructure of the ocean, this book goes on presenting some methodological aspects in connection with the finestructure measurements in the ocean. The next chapters examine the complex interrelations between the fine-scale stratification of the ocean water. The remaining chapters explore several important physical processes, such as molecular diffusion, convection, turbulence, internal gravity waves, inertial motions, and mean currents. This book is written for physical oceanographers and specialists in other related branches of research.

Preface

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1 The Finestructure and Microstructure of Ocean Waters

1.2 Existing Instruments and Their Capabilities

1.3 Organization of Observations on the Thermohaline Finestructure of the Ocean

1.4 Examples of Observations

1.5 The Vertical, Horizontal, and Temporal Scales of the Finestructure of the Ocean

1.5.1 Characteristic Spatial Scale of the Finestructure

1.5.2 Limiting Dimensions of the Microstructure

1.5.3 Temporal Scales of the Elements of Thermohaline Finestructure

1.6 History of Investigations of Thermohaline Finestructure

Chapter 2. The Fundamental Physics of the Finestructure of the Ocean

2.1 Linearized Thermohaline Relationships and the Simpliest Consequences of Hydrostatics

2.2 The Finestructure and the Local Balances of Heat and Salt

2.3 The Kinematic Effect of Internal Waves

2.4 Irreversible Changes in Thermohaline Structure ('Traumatic Effects') Resulting from Turbulent Mixing

2.4.1 General Criteria for Dynamic Instability

2.4.2 Mechanisms of Instability and the Release of Energy by Internal Waves

2.4.3 The Shear Instability of Currents

2.4.4 Destabilization by Viscous Diffusion (of Mass and Momentum) and Turbulent Entrainment

2.5 The Advective Transfer of Thermohaline Heterogeneities

2.6 Convective Reorganization of Thermohaline Structure as a Result of 'Double Diffusive1 Effects

2.6.1 Layered Convection in a Stable Salinity Gradient, Heated from Below

2.6.2 Convection in the Form of 'Salt Fingers' and its Possible Manifestations in the Ocean

2.6.3 Thermohaline Convection in the Presence of Horizontal Gradients

2.7 Meso-scale and Large-scale Consequences of Molecular Processes

2.8 The Sequence and Relationships of Structure-forming Processes in the Ocean

Chapter 3. The Analysis and Interpretation of Observations

3.1 Separation of Profiles

3.2 A Selective Analysis of Perturbations and Mean Profiles

3.3 T'- and S'-correlation of Thermohaline Finestructure

3.4 Analysis of Spectra

3.5 Spatial and Temporal Variations of Statistical Characteristics

3.6 A Combined Analysis of Profiles of the Vertical Gradients of Velocity and Density and a Comparison of the Associated Finestructure

3.7 Some General Conclusions

Chapter 4. Temperature and Density Inversions in the Ocean

4.1 Introductory Remarks

4.2 Thermohaline Disturbances Accompanying the Intrusion Process in the Ocean

4.3 Intrusive Inversions of Temperature in the Arabian Sea

4.4 The Temperature Inversion in the Timor Sea

4.5 Other Examples of the Formation of Intrusive Inversions of Temperature

4.6 The Formation of a Temperature Inversion by Means of Vertical Convection Associated with Local Instability of the Oceanic Thermocline

4.7 Inversions of Vertical Density Gradient

Chapter 5. Step Structures in the Ocean and their Origin

5.1 Introductory Remarks

5.2 Advective Layering of the Upper Quasi-Uniform Layer

5.3 Step Structure of Meso-scale Temperature Inversions

5.4 Step Structures in the Thermohalocline

Conclusions

Bibliography

A. Translated Titles of Russian References

B. Non-Russian References

C. Recent References (Added to Translation)

Author Index

Subject Index