Download or read book Internal Gravity Waves in the Equatorial Pacific written by and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mixing in the ocean surface layer is an important process in the transport of heat, momentum, and CO[sub 2] into the deep ocean, For example, the flux of heat into the cold, upwelling water in equatorial regions provides one of the major heat sources driving the ocean circulation. Direct measurements of the ocean mixed layer have provided good estimates of the bulk layer properties. However, estimates of the small-scale effects of intenial waves and related turbulence have remained ambiguous because of the difficulty in observing these processes. Until more detailed measurements become available, numerical models can provide a convenient and cost-effective way to analyze the details of the surface mixed layer. Modeling the surface layer of the equatorial Pacific Ocean is challenging because of the strong vertical current shear and density stratification common to the region. The primary zonal current is the eastward flowing Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) centered at roughly 120 m depth, with a speed of about 1.5 ms[sup [minus]1] as shown in Figure 1. The EUC is forced by a zonal pressure gradient resulting from the westward directed surface wind stress. Above the EUC, the wind stress directly forces thee South Equatorial Current (SEC), which flows westward with a speed of about 0.5 ms[sup [minus]1]. The shear zone generated by these currents is marginally stable and exhibits a diurnal cycle of turbulence dependent on convection forced by surface cooling. In addition, surface convection forces internal gravity waves, which can transport momentum away from the surface current to deeper waters. In this report, we discuss recent modeling results for the equatorial Pacific showing the generation of convection, turbulence, and internal waves.