Thermohaline staircase formation in the diffusive convection regime: a theory based upon stratified turbulence asymptotics.

The values of Graph $S {z0}$, Graph $\varTheta {z0}$ and the constant viscous dissipation Graph $\varepsilon 0$ are chosen so that the initial density ratio Graph $R {\rho 0}={S {z0}}/{\varTheta {z0}}=4$ and the initial buoyancy Reynolds number Graph $Re {b0}=40$. It is clear on the basis of figure 1 that the difference in Graph $Pr$ is associated with significantly different dependences of diapycnal diffusivities as a function of Graph $Re b$ when the buoyancy Reynolds number is moderate (Graph $Re b). In our model, Graph $\varTheta$ and Graph $S$ are defined in density units so that the equation of state can be written as Graph $\rho =\rho 0+S-\varTheta$. Although the turbulence in the Arctic Ocean is an inherently patchy and intermittent process, as shown in the log-normal distribution of Graph $\varepsilon$ in their figure 7(a), the sampled Graph $Re b$ lies almost entirely within the range of our criterion Graph $0.18. [Extracted from the article]