Modulation of equatorial turbulence by tropical instability waves

Abstract

The sea surface temperature in the Pacific equatorial cold tongue is influenced strongly by the turbulent entrainment flux. A numerical model using a level‐1.5 turbulence closure scheme suggests strong modulation of the entrainment flux by tropical instability waves (TIWs). Turbulence observations taken by a Lagrangian float encountering a TIW confirm the spatial pattern of turbulent flux variation predicted by the model. The strongest observed turbulence mixing occurred at the leading edge of the TIW trough; turbulence diffusivity K ∼ 10−2 m2 s−1 and turbulent heat flux Q ∼ 1000 W m−2 at the base of surface mixed layer. The weakest observed turbulence occurred at ∼2° south of the TIW trough; K ∼ 10−4 m2 s−1 and Q ∼ 10 W m−2. The TIW caused nearly two decades of turbulence variation within an O(1000 km) zonal scale and O(100 km) meridional scale. Model results suggest that the increased entrainment heat flux at the leading edge of the TIW trough can be explained by the enhancement of shear at the surface mixed layer base modulated by the TIWs.