Capturing Oceanic Submesoscales, Stirring, and Mixing with Sound and Simulations

通过声音和模拟捕捉海洋亚尺度、搅拌和混合

• 批准号: MR/X035611/1
• 负责人: Katy Sheen
• 金额: $ 324.42万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Fellowship
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FX035611%2F1
• 关键词: Capturing; Oceanic; Submesoscales; Stirring; Mixing

The global oceans act as a sponge, soaking up significant amounts of the excess heat and carbon that have been added to the atmosphere due to human activity. Our oceans therefore play a key role in buffering the magnitude of climate change. However, the future storage capacity of the ocean sponge is uncertain, alongside the distribution of nutrients and oxygen, key ingredients for a healthy marine ecosystem. To address these uncertainties, we need to better understand how the oceans flow deep below the surface layers - in particular current flows that span scales of tens of metres to hundreds of kilometers, otherwise known as submesoscales. Submesoscale currents matter because they provide a pathway to harness energy from the winds and tides and use it to stir and mix different water masses around the globe, along with the heat, carbon and nutrients that they carry. Despite their importance, little is known about ocean submesoscales because of their intermediate size and intermittent nature. This means they are both difficult to capture in nature or model with computers. In this project, my team will conduct a pioneering experiment that will capture for the first time the full range of current flows that exist beneath the surface ocean layers, alongside the mixing and stirring that they generate. A targeted sea-going programme using active acoustics will sample the ocean at unprecedented resolutions (two orders of magnitude better than other techniques) and fully capture submesoscale currents. Similar to how bats echo-locate, a ship at the surface releases sound pulses into the water and records reflections from water layers. Acoustic measurements will be combined for the first time with cutting-edge robotics, vessel-mounted and moored instrumentation. In parallel, state-of-the-art model simulations will be both validated and improved using our new ocean observation data. The result will be the most realistic representation of the sub-surface ocean to date. The simulations will be used to quantify submesoscale initiation, ubiquity and interactions, and assess their role in driving energy and property exchanges in the global ocean. The experiment will take place at a global hotspot of ocean activity: the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence off the coast of Argentina. Here sub-tropical waters from the Atlantic collide with polar waters from the Southern Ocean. Water mass exchanges at this confluence, which are likely driven by submesoscale currents, play a key role in the distribution of heat, salt, carbon and life sustaining nutrients and oxygen throughout the global oceans. By revealing interior ocean dynamics in unparalleled detail at the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence, COSSMoSS will shed light on a significant missing piece of the scientific ocean puzzle helping us to better understand our future biosphere and climate.

全球海洋充当海绵，吸收了由于人类活动而添加到大气中的大量过量热量和碳。因此，我们的海洋在缓冲气候变化的幅度方面起着关键作用。但是，海绵的未来存储能力尚不确定，以及养分和氧气的分布，健康海洋生态系统的关键成分。为了解决这些不确定性，我们需要更好地理解海洋如何在地面层以下深处流动 - 特别是当前流动的流量跨越数十米至数百公里，也称为sbortsoscales。子尺度电流很重要，因为它们提供了从风和潮汐中利用能量的途径，并使用它与它们所携带的热，碳和营养素一起搅拌和混合不同的水质量。尽管它们的重要性很重要，但由于它们的中间大小和间歇性的性质，对海洋的群体尺寸知之甚少。这意味着它们在自然界中很难捕获，也很难用计算机捕获模型。在这个项目中，我的团队将进行开创性的实验，该实验将首次捕获表面海洋层以下的全部流动，以及它们产生的混合和搅拌。使用主动声学的有针对性的海上计划将以前所未有的分辨率（比其他技术好两个数量级）并完全捕获子尺度电流。类似于蝙蝠回声的方式，表面上的一艘船将声音脉冲释放到水中，并记录了水层的反射。声学测量将首次与尖端的机器人，船舶安装和系泊仪器结合在一起。同时，使用我们的新海洋观测数据，将对最先进的模型模拟进行验证和改进。结果将是迄今为止次面海洋最现实的代表。这些模拟将用于量化子级启动，无处不在和相互作用，并评估其在全球海洋中驱动能源和财产交流中的作用。该实验将在全球海洋活动的热点：巴西 - 马尔维纳斯汇合处，阿根廷沿海。在这里，来自大西洋的亚热带水与南大洋的极地水相撞。这种汇合处的水量交换很可能是由子尺度电流驱动的，在热，盐，碳和寿命的分布中起着关键作用。通过在巴西 - 马尔维纳斯汇合处以无与伦比的细节揭示室内海洋动力学，哥斯莫斯将揭示出一大批丢失的科学海洋难题，以帮助我们更好地了解我们未来的生物圈和气候。