Modeling mesoscale eddy energy transport in idealized experiments

Lateral transport of mesoscale eddy energy is a poorly-understood process that is expected to make a significant contribution to the mesoscale eddy energy budget in some parts of the oceans. We study this process with simulations of stochastically forced quasigeostrophic turbulence in a periodic domain. The forcing is inhomogeneous, and as a result the turbulence generates energy transport from strongly-forced to weakly-forced regions. The time-mean eddy energy transport is diagnosed. For barotropic dynamics on an f-plane it is well modeled by an isotropic diffusion with energy diffusivity 75% of the tracer diffusivity. For barotropic dynamics on a beta plane the turbulence becomes anisotropic, with reduced diffusivity in the meridional direction. Preliminary results are presented for baroclinic dynamics on an f-plane.