On the interactions between planetary geostrophy and mesoscale eddies

Multiscale asymptotics are used to derive three systems of equations connecting the planetary geostrophic (PG) equations for gyre-scale flow to a quasigeostrophic (QG) equation set for mesoscale eddies. Pedlosky (1984), following similar analysis, found eddy buoyancy fluxes to have only a small effect on the large-scale flow; however, numerical simulations disagree. While the impact of eddies is relatively small in most regions, in keeping with Pedlosky’s result, eddies have a significant effect on the mean flow in the vicinity of strong, narrow currents.First, the multiple-scales analysis of Pedlosky is reviewed and amplified. Novel results of this analysis include new multiple-scales models connecting large-scale PG equations to sets of QG eddy equations. However, only introducing anisotropic scaling of the large-scale coordinates allows us to derive a model with strong two-way coupling between the QG eddies and the PG mean flow. This finding reconciles the analysis with simulations, viz. that strong two-way coupling is observed in the vicinity of anisotropic features of the mean flow like boundary currents and jets. The relevant coupling terms are shown to be eddy buoyancy fluxes. Using the Gent-McWilliams parameterization to approximate these fluxes allows solution of the PG equations with closed tracer fluxes in a closed domain, which is not possible without mesoscale eddy (or other small-scale) effects. The boundary layer width is comparable to an eddy mixing length when the typical eddy velocity is taken to be the long Rossby wave phase speed, which is the same result found by Fox-Kemper and Ferrari (2009) in a reduced gravity layer.     

On the control of subantarctic stratification by the ocean circulation

Climate Dynamics - A shallow mixed layer depth bias in Austral winter in the Subantarctic Zone is a common feature of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) models, including the Community...     

Petrology of volcanic rocks from Kaula Island,Hawaii

A compositionally diverse suite of volcanic rocks, including tholeiites, phonolites, basanites and nephelinites, occurs as accidental blocks in the palagonitic tuff of Kaula Island. The Kaula phonolites are the only documented phonolites from the Hawaiian Ridge. Among the accidental blocks, only the phonolites and a plagioclase basanite were amenable to K-Ar age dating. They yielded ages of 4.0–4.2 Ma and 1.8±0.2 Ma, respectively. Crystal fractionation modeling of major and trace element data indicates that the phonolites could be derived from a plagioclase basanite by subtraction of 27% clinopyroxene, 21% plagioclase, 16% anorthoclase, 14% olivine, 4% titanomagnetite and 1% apatite, leaving a 16% derivative liquid. The nephelinites contain the same phenocryst, xenocryst and xenolith assemblages as the tuff. Thus, they are probably comagmatic. The strong chemical similarity of the Kaula nephelinites and basanites to those from the post-erosional stage Honolulu Group on Oahu, the presence of garnet-bearing pyroxenites in the Kaula nephelinites (which previously, had only been reported in the Honolulu volcanic rocks) and the similar age of the Kaula basanite to post-erosional lavas from nearby volcanoes are compelling evidence that the Kaula basanites and nephelinites were formed during a post-erosional stage of volcanism.Now at Occidental Petroleum, Bakersfield, CA, 93309, USA