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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 81 » Issue 23
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 5249–5252 (1998)

Probability Density Functions of Large-Scale Turbulence in the Ocean

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Stefan G. Llewellyn Smith*
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Silver Street, Cambridge CB3 9EW, United Kingdom

Sarah T. Gille†
School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom

Received 29 July 1998; published in the issue dated 7 December 1998

Probability density functions (pdfs) of surface velocity and surface velocity gradients in the ocean are calculated using altimetric data from the Topex/Poseidon satellite. These provide information about turbulence in a high-Reynolds-number geophysical flow. Both velocity pdfs and velocity gradient pdfs calculated over small regions are Gaussian but have more exponential shapes as the size of the region increases. We develop a simple explanation for the non-Gaussianity of velocity pdfs based on the inhomogeneity of eddy kinetic energy in the ocean.

© 1998 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.5249
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.5249
PACS:
92.10.Lq, 02.50.-r, 47.27.-i

*Electronic address: sgls1@damtp.cam.ac.uk.

†Electronic address: sgille@uci.edu. Present address: Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3100.

 
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