Nomenclature

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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
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
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"; in a stratified turbulent shear flow (where the production of turbulent kinetic energy by shear and the Reynolds stress, P, equals the rate of dissipation, ε, plus the buoyancy production, B), it is the ratio of the rate of potential energy due to buoyancy production to the rate of loss of kinetic energy through viscous friction. 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=0.39zw 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