Area W: Wave Processes
Area W focuses on gravity waves in ocean and atmosphere. Gravity waves occur within a fluid or at the interface between two media of different density when the force of gravity or buoyancy tries to restore equilibrium. They exist for example at the surface of the ocean or even within the ocean or atmosphere if the fluid is stratified in density. These latter waves are called internal gravity waves. The projects in area W investigate internal wave processes the ocean and extend new ideas to the atmosphere.
Objectives
Internal wave energetics in atmosphere and ocean
We aim to further improve our understanding of internal wave energetics in atmosphere and ocean by investigating how internal gravity waves form, change by interactions with one another or their surroundings, and lose their energy to the mean flow or small-scale turbulence. The strong collaboration of meteorologists and oceanographers, theoreticians and experimentalists, promises unprecedented synergy effects and improved parameterizations of gravity wave effects in ocean and atmosphere general circulation models.
Overarching research questions in area W are:
- What are the main mechanisms dominating internal wave energetics in the atmosphere and how can we better parameterize them in global models?
What are the main mechanisms dominating internal wave energetics in the ocean and how can we better observe and parameterize them in global models?
Publications
Eden, C., Pollmann, F., & Olbers, D. (2019). Numerical evaluation of energy transfers in internal gravity wave spectra of the ocean. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 49(3), 737-749, doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-18-0075.1.
Voelker, G. S., P. G. Myers, M. Walter and B. R. Sutherland (2019). Generation of Oceanic Internal Gravity Waves by a Cyclonic Surface Stress Disturbance. Dynam. Atmos. Oceans, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dynatmoce.2019.03.005.
Czeschel, L. and Eden, C. (2019). Internal wave radiation through surface mixed layer turbulence. J. Phys. Oceanogr., doi:10.1175/JPO-D-18-0214.1.
Eden, C., Chouksey, M., & Olbers, D. (2019). Gravity wave emission by shear instability. J. Phys. Oceanogr.
Köhler, J., Walter, M., Mertens, C., Stiehler, J., Li, Z., Zhao, Z., von Storch, J.-S., & Rhein, M. (2019). Energy flux observations in an internal tide beam in the eastern North Atlantic. J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans., Vol. 124 (8), 5747-5764, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JC015156.
Olbers, D., Pollmann, F. & Eden, C. (2020). On PSI interactions in internal gravity wave fields and the decay of baroclinic tides. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 50(3), 751-771, doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-19-0224.1.
Eden, C., Pollmann, F. & Olbers, D. (2020). Towards a global spectral energy budget for internal gravity waves in the ocean. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 50(4), 935-944, doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-19-0022.1.
Olbers, D., Jurgenowski, P., & Eden, C. (2020). A wind-driven model of the ocean surface layer with wave radiation physics. Ocean Dynam. 70, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-020-01376-2.
Pollmann, F. (2020). Global characterization of the ocean’s internal wave spectrum. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 50(7), doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-19-0185.1.
Voelker, G. S., Olbers, D., Walter, M., Mertens, C., & Myers, P. G. (2020). Estimates of Wind Power and Radiative Near-Inertial Internal Wave Flux. The Hybrid Slab Model and Its Application to the North Atlantic. Ocean Dynam. 70, 1357–1376, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-020-01388-y.