Cite this paper:
Baisu ZHU, Wei YANG, Chengfei JIANG, Tao WANG, Hao WEI. Observations of turbulent mixing and vertical diffusive salt flux in the Changjiang Diluted Water[J]. Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, 2022, 40(4): 1349-1360

Observations of turbulent mixing and vertical diffusive salt flux in the Changjiang Diluted Water

Baisu ZHU1, Wei YANG1, Chengfei JIANG1, Tao WANG2, Hao WEI1
1 School of Marine Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China;
2 Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
Abstract:
Based on microstructure measurements from a repeated sampling station southwest of the Jeju Island during summer, we studied the hydrography, pycnocline turbulence, and vertical salt flux in the Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW). The water column was well stratified with the CDW occupied the surface ~20 m. Most of the large turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate (ε) were found in the bottom boundary layer. Interestingly, intermittent strong turbulence (ε>10-6 W/kg) occurred in the pycnocline, which may induce strong mixing events and increase the vertical diffusive salt flux at the base of CDW by one order of magnitude. The daily-mean vertical diffusive salt flux could reach 4.3 (2.1, 8.9)×10-6 m/s. Both moored velocity measurements and associated wavelet analysis showed the presence of velocity fluctuations when there was strong pycnocline turbulence. The moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images further suggest that the velocity fluctuations are induced by the prevailing internal solitary waves (ISWs) which are mainly generated at the shelf break of the East China Sea or the topographic features surrounding Jeju Island. The calculated gradient Richardson number denote the occurrence of shear instability in the pycnocline when strong turbulence presents. The presented results have strong implications for the importance of ISWs in influencing the vertical diffusion of CDW and changes in other properties.
Key words:    turbulence|vertical salt flux|internal solitary wave|Changjiang River plume   
Received: 2021-06-18   Revised:
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Articles by Baisu ZHU
Articles by Wei YANG
Articles by Chengfei JIANG
Articles by Tao WANG
Articles by Hao WEI
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