On Spectral Analysis of Mesoscale Eddies. Part II: Nonlinear Analysis

Several turbulent flow regimes of an idealized ocean circulation model are systematically analyzed in physical and spectral domains. Zonal dispersion properties of transient mesoscale eddies are described by the zonal wavenumber/temporal frequency spectra. The eddy patterns and the corresponding nonlinear eddy forcing exerted on the jets are examined by filtering different parts of the spectra. Comparison of the outcome of this nonlinear analysis with the properties of the linearized solutions (obtained in Part I of this paper) demonstrates that a very substantial part of the flow dynamics is controlled by the underlying linear dynamics. This result supports the hypothesis that it is possible to describe most of the oceanic mesoscale eddies as a wave turbulence phenomenon.