Nomenclature

From Atomix


Background (total) velocity

Symbol Description Units
u zonal or longitudinal component of velocity ms1
v meridional or transverse component of velocity ms1
w vertical component of velocity ms1
ue error velocity ms1
V velocity perpendicular to mean flow ms1
Wd Profiler fall speed ms1
UP Flow speed past sensor ms1
b Along-beam velocity from acoustic Doppler sensor ms1
b Along-beam velocity from acoustic Doppler sensor with background flow deducted ms1
δz Vertical size of measurement bin for acoustic Doppler sensor m
r Along-beam distance from acoustic Doppler sensor m
δr0 Along-beam bin size for acoustic Doppler sensor m
δr Along-beam bin separation for acoustic Doppler sensor m
θ Beam transmit and receive angle relative to instrument axis for acoustic Doppler sensor

Turbulence properties

Symbol Description Eqn Units
ε The rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy per unit mass by viscosity Wkg1
B Buoyancy production -- the rate of production of potential energy by turbulence in a stratified flow through the vertical flux of buoyancy. B=gρρw Wkg1
P The production of turbulence kinetic energy. In a steady, spatially uniform and stratified shear flow, turbulence kinetic energy is produced by the product of the Reynolds stress and the shear, for example P=uwUz . The production is balanced by the rate of dissipation turbulence kinetic energy, ε, and the production of potential energy by the buoyancy flux, B. P=uwUz=ε+B Wkg1
Rf Flux Richardson number; the ratio of the buoyancy flux expended for the net change in potential energy (i.e., mixing) to the shear production of turbulent kinetic energy. Rf=BP
Γ "Mixing coefficient"; The ratio of the rate of production of potential energy, B, to the rate of dissipation of kinetic energy, ε. Γ=Bε=Rf1Rf
Ri (Gradient) Richardson number; the ratio of buoyancy freqency squared to velocity shear squared Ri=N2S2
κρ Turbulent eddy diffusivity via the Osborn (1980) model κρ=ΓεN2 m2s1
Dll Second-order longitudinal structure function Dll=[b(r)b(r+nδr)]2 m2s2

Fluid properties and background gradients for turbulence calculations

Symbol Description Eqn Units
SP Practical salinity
T Temperature C
P Pressure dbar
ρ Density of water ρ=ρ(T,Sa,P) kgm3
α Temperature coefficient of expansion α=1ρρT K1
β Saline coefficient of contraction β=1ρρSP
S Background velocity shear S=[(Uz)2+(Vz)2]1/2 s1
ν35 Temperature dependent kinematic viscosity of seawater at a practical salinity of 35 1×106 m2s1
ν00 Temperature dependent kinematic viscosity of freshwater 1×106 m2s1
Γa Adiabatic temperature gradient -- salinity, temperature and pressure dependent 1×104 Kdbar1
N Background stratification, i.e buoyancy frequency N2=g[α(Γa+Tz)βSPz] rads1

Theoretical Length and Time Scales

Symbol Description Eqn Units
τN Buoyancy timescale τN=1N s
TN Buoyancy period TN=2πN s
LE Ellison length scale (limit of vertical displacement without irreversible mixing) LE=ρ'21/2ρ/z m
LZ Boundary (law of the wall) length scale LZ=0.39zw with 0.39 being von Kármán's constant m
LS Corssin length scale LS=ε/S3 m
LK Kolmogorov length scale (smallest overturns) LK=(ν3ε)1/4 m
Lo Ozmidov length scale, measure of largest overturns in a stratified fluid Lo=(εN3)1/2 m
LT Thorpe length scale LT m
zw Distance from a boundary zw m

Turbulence Spectrum

These variables are used to express the Turbulence spectrum expected shapes.


Symbol Description Eqn Units
Δt Sampling interval 1fs s
fs Sampling rate fs=1Δt s1
Δs Sample spacing Δs=UPΔt m
Δl Linear dimension of sampling volume (instrument dependent) m
f Cyclic frequency f=ω2π Hz
ω Angular frequency ω=2πf rads1
fN Nyquist frequency fN=0.5fs Hz
k Cyclic wavenumber k=fUP cpm
k^ Angular wavenumber k^=ωUP=2πk radm1
k~ Normalized wavenumber e.g., k~=kLK,LK=(ν3/ε)1/4 -
Φ~ Normalized velocity spectrum e.g., Φ~u(k~)=(ϵν5)1/4Φu(k) -
Ψ~ Normalized shear spectrum e.g., Ψ~(k~)=LK2(ϵν5)1/4Ψ(k) -
kΔ Nyquist wavenumber, based on sampling volume size Δl kΔ=0.5Δl cpm
kN Nyquist wavenumber, via Taylor's hypothesis kN=fNUP cpm
Ψ(k) Shear spectrum. Use Ψ1, Ψ2 to distinguish the orthogonal components of the shear. Use ΨN for the Nasmyth spectrum, ΨPK for the Panchev-Kesich spectrum and ΨL for the Lueck spectrum. s2cpm1
Φ(k) Velocity spectrum. Use Φu, Φv, Φv, or Φ1, Φ2 , Φ3 for the different orthogonal components of the velocity. Use ΦK for the Kolmogorov spectrum. m2s2cpm1