Bi‐Directional Energy Cascades in the Pacific Ocean From Equator to Subarctic Gyre

Ocean circulation receives its energy input at basin scales while dissipates microscopic mixing scale. How this is transferred across different lengthscales of paramount importance for understanding the ocean equilibration and variability. Advancement in high-resolution numerical simulations recent years has significantly improved our kinetic (KE) cascades from to kilometer scales, although observational evidence verify simulated processes remains limited. Using repeat ship-board velocity measurements along 165°E equatorial, subtropical subarctic Pacific Ocean, we show that length scale separating inverse forward cascades, LS, falls 8 ∼ 300 km range it does not straightforwardly with baroclinic deformation radius. Balanced unbalanced oceanic motions co-exist but contribute oppositely directional cascades. LS observed depend on relative strengths these motions, as well by their interaction.