Unlocking a global ocean mixing dataset: toward standardization of seismic-derived ocean mixing rates
Unlocking a global ocean mixing dataset: toward standardization of seismic-derived ocean mixing rates
Turbulent mixing is vital for water transformation in the ocean and sustains the global thermohaline circulation. Despite decades of global observations using different platforms, our understanding of ocean turbulence is still limited. More observations are needed to better characterize the spatiotemporal distribution of mixing to reduce uncertainties in climate models. Marine seismic reflection surveys are an untapped data resource for high-resolution ocean turbulence observation. Turbulent mixing can be extracted from seismic data through horizontal internal wave slope spectra. However, to date, a standardized approach to prepare seismic data for this spectral analysis is still lacking, leading to insufficient consideration of the impact of noise on the resulting diffusivities. To address these issues, we perform a full-wavefield synthetic modeling and processing to reveal noise-induced overestimation of diffusivities. We further propose a widely applicable workflow and apply it to three field seismic surveys with increasing noise levels conducted in regions of different turbulence environments: ocean ridges, open ocean interior, and continental slope. The derived diffusivities are bench-marked against direct measurements around the region to show the fidelity of this seismic method. The extended observation records by seismic data across the Kauai Channel and away from the Mid-Atlantic Ridges reveal the importance of topography in modifying the propagation of internal tides and the distribution of turbulent mixing in both near and far fields. Our proposed workflow marks a key advancement toward standardization of seismic-derived ocean mixing rates and holds the potential to unlock massive marine seismic reflection datasets worldwide for ocean mixing characterization.
Acoustic measurements/effects, Complex terrain, Diapycnal mixing, Spectral analysis/ models/distribution, Turbulence
675-697
Wei, Jingxuan
c2cfdb9f-0af5-4b7b-a7d2-dc3599b13537
Zhao, Zeyu
72e36a02-7855-417e-93c5-f99b89f5654a
Gunn, Kathryn L.
5952c101-ecf3-4b62-b817-86007cdc8ce4
Gulick, Sean P.S.
2b9eb82d-31fe-4089-9c63-cd91b1c3c6bd
Shillington, Donna J.
90374a02-f07d-4e32-a115-bea357319721
Lowery, Christopher M.
4fa3eee4-5dca-462b-ab99-58dc088e053a
10 June 2025
Wei, Jingxuan
c2cfdb9f-0af5-4b7b-a7d2-dc3599b13537
Zhao, Zeyu
72e36a02-7855-417e-93c5-f99b89f5654a
Gunn, Kathryn L.
5952c101-ecf3-4b62-b817-86007cdc8ce4
Gulick, Sean P.S.
2b9eb82d-31fe-4089-9c63-cd91b1c3c6bd
Shillington, Donna J.
90374a02-f07d-4e32-a115-bea357319721
Lowery, Christopher M.
4fa3eee4-5dca-462b-ab99-58dc088e053a
Wei, Jingxuan, Zhao, Zeyu, Gunn, Kathryn L., Gulick, Sean P.S., Shillington, Donna J. and Lowery, Christopher M.
(2025)
Unlocking a global ocean mixing dataset: toward standardization of seismic-derived ocean mixing rates.
Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 42 (6), .
(doi:10.1175/JTECH-D-24-0076.1).
Abstract
Turbulent mixing is vital for water transformation in the ocean and sustains the global thermohaline circulation. Despite decades of global observations using different platforms, our understanding of ocean turbulence is still limited. More observations are needed to better characterize the spatiotemporal distribution of mixing to reduce uncertainties in climate models. Marine seismic reflection surveys are an untapped data resource for high-resolution ocean turbulence observation. Turbulent mixing can be extracted from seismic data through horizontal internal wave slope spectra. However, to date, a standardized approach to prepare seismic data for this spectral analysis is still lacking, leading to insufficient consideration of the impact of noise on the resulting diffusivities. To address these issues, we perform a full-wavefield synthetic modeling and processing to reveal noise-induced overestimation of diffusivities. We further propose a widely applicable workflow and apply it to three field seismic surveys with increasing noise levels conducted in regions of different turbulence environments: ocean ridges, open ocean interior, and continental slope. The derived diffusivities are bench-marked against direct measurements around the region to show the fidelity of this seismic method. The extended observation records by seismic data across the Kauai Channel and away from the Mid-Atlantic Ridges reveal the importance of topography in modifying the propagation of internal tides and the distribution of turbulent mixing in both near and far fields. Our proposed workflow marks a key advancement toward standardization of seismic-derived ocean mixing rates and holds the potential to unlock massive marine seismic reflection datasets worldwide for ocean mixing characterization.
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Accepted/In Press date: 9 March 2025
Published date: 10 June 2025
Keywords:
Acoustic measurements/effects, Complex terrain, Diapycnal mixing, Spectral analysis/ models/distribution, Turbulence
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 503593
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/503593
ISSN: 0739-0572
PURE UUID: 19934cb5-1a02-4e48-81d0-2b2f2d991b65
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Date deposited: 05 Aug 2025 17:01
Last modified: 09 Aug 2025 02:18
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Contributors
Author:
Jingxuan Wei
Author:
Zeyu Zhao
Author:
Kathryn L. Gunn
Author:
Sean P.S. Gulick
Author:
Donna J. Shillington
Author:
Christopher M. Lowery
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