Energetic Constraints on Baroclinic Eddy Heat Transport With a Beta Effect in the Laboratory

Abstract Hypotheses involving energetic constraints and the down‐gradient diffusion of heat in eddy parameterization theories are tested by estimating baroclinic eddy transports in rotating annulus laboratory experiments. Particle Imaging Velocimetry measurements are supplemented by numerical simula...

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Main Authors: Cheng Qian, Peter L. Read, David P. Marshall
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112196
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author Cheng Qian
Peter L. Read
David P. Marshall
author_facet Cheng Qian
Peter L. Read
David P. Marshall
author_sort Cheng Qian
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Hypotheses involving energetic constraints and the down‐gradient diffusion of heat in eddy parameterization theories are tested by estimating baroclinic eddy transports in rotating annulus laboratory experiments. Particle Imaging Velocimetry measurements are supplemented by numerical simulations to estimate variables not measured directly. The results with a topographic beta effect broadly support Fick's first law, and are consistent with the GEOMETRIC framework in which eddy buoyancy flux is constrained by total eddy energy. With the topographic beta effect, a relatively simple relation is observed between the eddy buoyancy flux and the total eddy energy, with the ratio quantifying the eddy transport efficiency. This efficiency decreases in more complex flow regimes with larger rotation rates, associated with the changing energy partition between eddy available potential energy and eddy kinetic energy. In the absence of a topographic beta effect, more complicated dependencies are found, suggesting roles for other variables.
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spelling doaj-art-4095de32d79f4ab0b649cc9181ea55552025-08-20T02:16:05ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-03-01525n/an/a10.1029/2024GL112196Energetic Constraints on Baroclinic Eddy Heat Transport With a Beta Effect in the LaboratoryCheng Qian0Peter L. Read1David P. Marshall2Department of Physics University of Oxford Oxford UKDepartment of Physics University of Oxford Oxford UKDepartment of Physics University of Oxford Oxford UKAbstract Hypotheses involving energetic constraints and the down‐gradient diffusion of heat in eddy parameterization theories are tested by estimating baroclinic eddy transports in rotating annulus laboratory experiments. Particle Imaging Velocimetry measurements are supplemented by numerical simulations to estimate variables not measured directly. The results with a topographic beta effect broadly support Fick's first law, and are consistent with the GEOMETRIC framework in which eddy buoyancy flux is constrained by total eddy energy. With the topographic beta effect, a relatively simple relation is observed between the eddy buoyancy flux and the total eddy energy, with the ratio quantifying the eddy transport efficiency. This efficiency decreases in more complex flow regimes with larger rotation rates, associated with the changing energy partition between eddy available potential energy and eddy kinetic energy. In the absence of a topographic beta effect, more complicated dependencies are found, suggesting roles for other variables.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112196eddy heat transportenergetic constraintseddy parameterization
spellingShingle Cheng Qian
Peter L. Read
David P. Marshall
Energetic Constraints on Baroclinic Eddy Heat Transport With a Beta Effect in the Laboratory
Geophysical Research Letters
eddy heat transport
energetic constraints
eddy parameterization
title Energetic Constraints on Baroclinic Eddy Heat Transport With a Beta Effect in the Laboratory
title_full Energetic Constraints on Baroclinic Eddy Heat Transport With a Beta Effect in the Laboratory
title_fullStr Energetic Constraints on Baroclinic Eddy Heat Transport With a Beta Effect in the Laboratory
title_full_unstemmed Energetic Constraints on Baroclinic Eddy Heat Transport With a Beta Effect in the Laboratory
title_short Energetic Constraints on Baroclinic Eddy Heat Transport With a Beta Effect in the Laboratory
title_sort energetic constraints on baroclinic eddy heat transport with a beta effect in the laboratory
topic eddy heat transport
energetic constraints
eddy parameterization
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112196
work_keys_str_mv AT chengqian energeticconstraintsonbarocliniceddyheattransportwithabetaeffectinthelaboratory
AT peterlread energeticconstraintsonbarocliniceddyheattransportwithabetaeffectinthelaboratory
AT davidpmarshall energeticconstraintsonbarocliniceddyheattransportwithabetaeffectinthelaboratory