The abyssal ocean is a dynamic environment where intense turbulence and complex mixing processes are driven by variations in temperature, salinity, and internal tides. Gravitational forces act on density differences in seawater, along with internal tides moving water along sloping seafloor topography. This interaction with rugged terrain generates turbulent eddies and bottom boundary layer turbulence, facilitating the exchange of heat, carbon, and nutrients between deep ocean layers and the surface. These exchanges play essential roles in marine ecosystems and climate regulation.

 

Boundary layer dynamics over sloping topography in stratified, rotating fluids are crucial for understanding how mixing, turbulence, and large-scale energy transport impact the distribution of heat, nutrients, and other tracers within Earth’s systems. Decades of research have revealed complex interactions among internal waves, stratification, and topographic effects, providing insights into boundary layer turbulence (BLT) and mixing mechanisms under tidal forces in stratified environments.

 

In abyssal circulation, dense, cold water forms near polar regions, sinking and spreading along the ocean floor toward the equator due to density gradients. This bottom boundary layer turbulence contributes to the global ocean overturning circulation, a system that redistributes heat and nutrients worldwide. It serves as a long-term sink for carbon and heat, influencing weather, marine ecosystem stability, and Earth’s climate.

 

With the rise of deep-sea mining, there is growing concern over its potential impact on abyssal turbulence and the ecosystems it supports. The deep-sea floor contains valuable resources like manganese nodules and cobalt-rich crusts essential for technology, but mining can disrupt sediment layers, increase turbidity, and alter natural mixing processes. This disruption threatens nutrient balance and deep-sea habitat health.

 

Research on abyssal turbulence and human impacts, such as deep-sea mining, is essential for preserving the deep ocean’s role in climate stability and biodiversity.

 

I study BLT using large eddy simulations of idealized BLT and aim to shed light on the underlying mechanisms that drive topographical mixing and upwelling, which are crucial in climate regulation.