Shelf Seas Baroclinic Energy Loss: Pycnocline Mixing and Bottom Boundary Layer Dissipation

Observations of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate () from a range historical shelf seas data sets are viewed the perspective their forcing and mechanisms: barotropic to baroclinic tidal conversion, pycnocline bottom boundary layer (BBL) dissipation. The observations placed in geographical context using high resolution numerical model (NEMO AMM60) order compute relevant maps (conversion). We analyze, total, 18 shear microstructure surveys undertaken over 17 year period 1996 2013 on North West European shelf, consisting 3,717 vertical profiles microstructure: 2,013 free falling profilers 1,704 underwater gliders. A robust positive relationship is found between model-derived observed integrated . fitted power law approximately one-third found, giving simple new parameterization. discuss reasons for this apparent where “missing” may be occurring. conclude that internal wave related provides explanation consistent with commonly used fine-scale