Sack Lunch Seminar (SLS)

Abstract:
Mechanisms for the dissipation of energy from the oceanic wind-driven general circulation are not fully understood. Here, I describe the role of fronts in transferring energy from the balanced circulation into the internal wave field through the spontaneous generation of near-inertial waves. Using observations and modeling we find evidence for near-inertial wave generation and dissipation within the thermocline of a frontal region even in the absence of wind forcing. Globally, this mechanism can contribute a significant sink of energy from the general circulation. Furthermore, I describe how fronts interact with near-inertial waves in the surface boundary layer and transfer energy to depth, where it is dissipated. This work is in collaboration with Takeyoshi Nagai, Amit Tandon, Eric Kunze and Mariona Claret.