Submesoscale Flows and Mixing in the Oceanic Surface Layer Using the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS)

The long-term goals of this project are to further the insight into the dynamics of submesoscale flow in the oceanic surface layer. Using the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS), we aim to understand the impact of submesoscale processes on tracer mixing at small scales and the transfer of energy towards the dissipative scales of non-geostrophic turbulence. An advanced understanding of surface layer processes at these small scales is instrumental in interpreting remote and directly sensed observations that are increasingly capable of observing submesoscale flows. These goals accompany the continuation of the evolution of the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS) as a multi-scale, multi-process model and its utilization for investigations of a variety of oceanic phenomena ranging from from turbulence to basin-scale circulation.