Nomenclature

From Atomix


Background (total) velocity

Symbol Description Units
u zonal velocity ms1
v meridional 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
δr Along-beam bin size 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
Ri (Gradient) Richardson number; the ratio of buoyancy freqency squared to velocity shear squared Ri=N2S2
Rif Flux Richardson number; the ratio of the buoyancy flux to the shear production of turbulent kinetic energy Rf=BP
Γ Mixing efficiency; the ratio of the buoyancy flux to the rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy Γ=Bε=Rf1Rf
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=1ρρSa
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=0.39z with 0.39 being von Kármán's constant. m
LS Corssin length scale LS=ε/S3 m
η Kolmogorov length scale (smallest overturns) η=(ν3ε)1/4 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

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
kΔ Nyquist wavenumber, based on sampling volume size Δl kΔ=0.5Δl cpm
kN Nyquist wavenumber, via Taylor's hypothesis kN=fNUP cpm
Ψvariable(k) Theoretical, empirical or model spectrum of any given variable units of the variable squared/units of k (i.e.,cpm)
Φvariable(k) Observed spectrum of any given variable units of the variable squared/units of k (i.e.,cpm)