Spectral Modeling of Sub-Mesoscale Mixing Processes in the Ocean

The main long-term goal of the project is two-fold: to further develop a new venue in modeling of turbulent mixing using a new spectral theory of turbulence, the quasi-normal scale elimination (QNSE), and to improve the nowcasts and forecasts of the state of the ocean on sub-mesoand mesoscales. The QNSE theory brings turbulence modeling to a new level as it allows one to obtain analytical results in situations not amenable to analytical treatment within the Reynolds stress closure modeling approach. The QNSE theory is particularly useful in describing anisotropic turbulence with waves, the flows of central importance to oceanic and atmospheric circulations. We consider this theory as a viable alternative to the Reynolds stress modeling and we expect it to find a wide range of applications in the long range.