Ocean mixing is a physical oceanographic phenomenon encompassing the turbulent and wave-driven processes that irreversibly redistribute heat, salt, momentum, and biogeochemical tracers within the ocean interior and boundary layers. It is mediated by shear instability, double-diffusive convection, internal waves (including internal tides), and boundary-generated turbulence, and is quantified using parameters such as diapycnal and isopycnal diffusivities. Ocean mixing regulates the vertical exchange between the surface and deep ocean, controls stratification and overturning circulation, influences climate-relevant heat and carbon storage, and sets nutrient supply to the euphotic zone, thereby coupling physical dynamics with marine biogeochemistry.
About 71% of Earth's surface is covered by the vast oceans. When winds blow over the sea surface, they transfer energy to the water, creating waves. Some of these waves, under the force of strong winds, break and produce ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 28, 2025
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The Mediterranean Sea is particularly susceptible to marine heat waves—such as the record-breaking 2022 heat wave, which was characterized by anomalously high sea surface temperatures—due to the interplay of air-sea heat ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 14, 2025
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A new scientific paper reveals that many predictions about the future of coral reefs under climate change may be missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.
Ecology
Aug 11, 2025
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Deep below the surface of the ocean, unseen waves roil and churn the water. These internal waves, traveling between water layers of different temperatures and densities, draw cold, nutrient-rich water up from the depths and ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 25, 2025
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With careful planning and a little luck, researchers found a surprising upside to hurricanes after a Category 4 storm disrupted their expedition off the coast of Mexico.
Earth Sciences
Jun 7, 2025
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Small things matter, at least when it comes to ocean features like waves and eddies. A recent NASA-led analysis using data from the SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellite found that ocean features as small as ...
Earth Sciences
May 15, 2025
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The detection of energy signals from strong winter storms in the North Atlantic Ocean that travel through Earth's core could enhance understanding of our solar system, according to new research from The Australian National ...
Planetary Sciences
May 10, 2025
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273
For the first time, scientists have collected measurements close to a giant iceberg, giving an unprecedented window into the impact of meltwater on the surrounding Southern Ocean and ecosystem. The paper is published today ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 4, 2025
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The El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is one of the most influential interannual climate phenomena in the global ocean-atmospheric system, with profound impacts on weather patterns, particularly in the Asia-Pacific ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 3, 2025
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33
The impact of hurricanes when they travel over land, or when they affect ships or oil-drilling platforms, are quite well understood. But these huge cyclones also stir up the ocean itself, with consequences that are relatively ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 18, 2025
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