A MECHANISM OF TEMPERATURE INHOMOGENEITY FORMATION IN THE OCEAN STRATIFIED BY TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY

Abstract

Seawater is a two-component medium, whose density depends on temperature and concentration of admixture (salinity). Numerous measurements of these variables in the ocean revealed the existence of clearly manifested horizontal and vertical inhomogeneities (see, for example, [1–4] and references therein). In particular, situations with numerous interfaces (steps) on vertical temperature and salinity profiles (fine structure of the ocean) are widespread. It is generally accepted that the main mechanisms of the fine structure formation are internal wave breaking and convection caused by double diffusion. In our work, we consider a mechanism related to the nonstationary wave process of mechanical equilibrium establishment, namely hydrostatic adjustment.