The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

2027 Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

January 12-15, 2027

Impact of tidal sloshing on diapycnal upwelling near sloping bathymetry
ID:893 Invited Oral Presentation

2027-01-13 13:30 (China Standard Time)

Session:Session 12 - Abyssal Circulation and Multiscale Dynamics: Processes, Interactions, and Climate Implications

Abstract
Diapycnal mixing near sloping seafloor plays a fundamental role in driving the upwelling of deep water masses in the global ocean. Previous modeling and observational studies have primarily focused on the sensitivity of this upwelling to near-bottom mixing, often attributed to internal wave breaking. However, the role of low-mode tidal forcing has received less attention. Here, we investigate the impact of tidal sloshing on diapycnal upwelling and tracer dispersion over sloping bathymetry. We show that, even when prescribed with identical mixing rates, models that exclude tidal sloshing produce substantially weaker diapycnal upwelling over steep slopes than models that explicitly include it, while differences remain small over gentle slopes. This difference arises from a kinematic coupling between spatial variations in mixing and the tidal displacement of water masses over the slope during each tidal cycle. Our results demonstrate that tidal sloshing exerts a fundamental dynamical control on deep-ocean upwelling that cannot be captured by mixing rates alone.  These findings provide guidance for representing deep-ocean upwelling in large-scale ocean models and for estimating water-mass transformation rates from observed diapycnal mixing and mean hydrography.
Speaker
Xiaozhou Ruan Boston University

Author
Xiaozhou Ruan Boston University

    Important Dates

    • Jan 30

      2026

      Session / Event proposals open

    • Mar 31

      2026

      Session / Event proposals close
      (Extended to April 7)

    • Apr 30

      2026

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    • Apr 30

      2026

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    • Jun 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions close
      (Extended to July 21)

    • Aug 31

      2026

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    • Sep 15

      2026

      Scientific program released

    • Oct 15

      2026

      Early bird registration closes

    • Jan 12–15

      2027

      XMAS 2027