Diapycnal Mixing Induced by Rough Small-Scale Bathymetry

• DOI: 10.22541/essoar.167169685.54626755/v1
• Publication Date: 2022-12-22T08:14:22Z
• Authors: Julia Christin Mu...; Lars Arneborg; Lars Umlauf; Peter Ludwig Holt...; Ezra Eisbrenner; Christoph Humborg; Martin Jakobsson; Christian Stranne
• Keywords: Echo sounding; Intermittency; Seafloor Spreading; Eddy

We investigate the effect of extremely rough bathymetry on energy dissipation and mixing in a coastal region characterized by small-scale seafloor features penetrating strongly-stratified density interface comparable vertical scale. Our data from non-tidal Baltic Sea include shear microstructure measurements observations broadband echosounder, here used to resolve extreme variability intermittency stratified turbulence vicinity obstacles. Scale analysis acoustic imaging turbulent motions suggest that underlying mechanisms are related topographic wake eddies and, smaller extent, breaking internal waves near bathymetric features. Vertical diffusivities exceed those at nearby reference station with smooth up two orders magnitude. study emphasizes importance (< 1 km) for transport areas shaped e.g., glacial, tectonic, or volcanic processes.