Direct Observations of Heat and Salt Entrainment Fluxes Across the Base of the Ocean Mixing Layer Under Marginal Ice Conditions in the Beaufort Sea

Abstract:

Measurements of turbulent fluxes of heat and salt across the base of the upper ocean mixed layer in summer marginal ice zone conditions in the Beaufort Sea were made using two eddy-correlation flux sensors with a vertical separation of 6m mounted on a depth-controlled frame. A third flux sensor measured fluxes 2m below the ice. A 16 element thermistor string measured finescale thermal gradients while a high resolution ADCP measured current profiles every 20cm across the frame to resolve finescale shear. Every hour the frame was profiled between 2m and 60m depth then re-positioned to span the base of the active mixing layer, determined primarily from the density profile, allowing the surface mixed layer entrainment fluxes to be determined. A range of wind conditions allowed mixed layer entrainment fluxes to be compared with several bulk entrainment formulations based on surface friction velocity values and the density jump across the base of the surface mixing layer.