Enhanced subsurface mixing due to near-inertial waves: observation from Seychelles-Chagos Thermocline Ridge

Abstract

The Seychelles-Chagos Thermocline Ridge (SCTR) is a key region which plays a major role in various regional climatic processes at all time scales. The vertical mixing at the base of mixed layer may be climatically important at this region, where a shallow thermocline and highly variable wind activity exists. In this study, we provide evidence of strong vertical mixing at the base of mixed layer and thermocline associated with near-inertial waves (NIWs) using the microstructure profiler time series data during boreal summer 2014. During the study, it was observed that the surface turbulent layer was mostly confined in the mixed layer with turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate of the order of 10−6 Wkg−1. Elevated dissipation rate in the order of 10−7–10−6 Wkg−1 was also observed at the base of the mixed layer and thermocline (60–100 m) during the entire period of observation. The estimated vertical diffusive heat flux across the mixed layer base (100 Wm−2) was strong and a moderate downward flux (~ 30 Wm−2) was noticed in the thermocline region. The analysis showed that the strong NIW triggered by a strong wind event were responsible for the high dissipation rate at the base of mixed layer and at deeper depths. The higher-mode NIW create elevated vertical shear at the base the mixed layer, which leads to the enhanced mixing. The study also showed the possible role of internal tides on the subsurface mixing in the region. The NIW-induced mixing may have important role on the mixed layer heat balance in a climatically active SCTR.