Large-scale impacts of small-scale ocean topography

While large-scale seafloor features (e.g. continental slopes, mid-ocean ridges) help shape the broad patterns of ocean circulation, small-scale rough topography seamounts, abyssal hills) can also impact dynamics in two significant ways. First, they momentum budget through flow steering, blocking and drag force, non-local transfer via generation radiating internal waves dissipation by topographically induced turbulence. Second, density budget. Turbulence flow–topography interactions facilitates overturning circulation upwelling dense, deep waters which form polar oceans sink to abyss. Rough its associated are subgrid scale Earth systems models (ESMs) need parameterization for foreseeable future. A intertwined impacts on budgets is currently non-existent, although importance well established. Radko ( J. Fluid Mech. , vol. 961, 2023, A24) provides a novel analytical model representing larger-scale flows, spanning slow fast flow-speed regimes homogeneous multilayer models. The proposed ‘closure’ remarkable agreement with high-resolution numerical simulations crucial step forward parameterizing coarse-resolution Extending full Navier–Stokes equations, linking it considering more realistic three critical future steps towards implementing Radko's theory operational ESMs.