%0 Journal Article
%T Microstructure observations during the spring 2011 STRATIPHYT-II cruise in the Northeast Atlantic
%A E. Jurado
%A H. A. Dijkstra
%A H. J. van der Woerd
%J Ocean Science Discussions (OSD)
%D 2012
%I Copernicus Publications
%R 10.5194/osd-9-2153-2012
%X Small-scale temperature and conductivity variations have been measured in the upper 100 m of the Northeast Atlantic during the STRATIPHYT-II cruise (Las Palmas¨CReykjavik, 6 April¨C3 May 2011). The measurements were done at midday and comprised 2 to 15 vertical profiles at each station. The derived turbulent quantities show a transition between weakly-stratified and well-mixed waters, which was centered at about 48¡ã N. The temperature eddy diffusivities, KT, range from 10 5 to 100 m2s 1 in the weakly-stratified stations, and range from 3 ¡Á 10 4 to 2 ¡Á 100 m2s 1 in the well-mixed stations. The turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rates, ¦Å, range from 3 ¡Á 10 8 to 2 ¡Á 10 6m2s 3 south of the transition zone, and from 10 7 to 10 5m2s 3 north of it. The station-averaged KT values throughout the mixed layer increase exponentially with the wind speed. The station-averaged ¦Å values throughout the mixed layer scale with the wind stress similarity variable, u*3/( ¦Ê z), with a scaling factor of about 1.8 in the wind-dominated stations. The values of KT and ¦Å are about 10 times higher compared to the values measured at the same stations in July 2009. The results presented here constitute a unique data set giving large spatial coverage of upper ocean spring turbulence quantities.
%U http://www.ocean-sci-discuss.net/9/2153/2012/osd-9-2153-2012.pdf