Vertical mixing is often regarded as the Achilles' heel of ocean models. In particular, few models include a comprehensive and energy‐constrained parameterization of mixing by internal ocean tides. Here, we present an energy‐conserving mixing scheme which accounts for the local breaking of high‐mode internal tides and the distant dissipation of low‐mode internal tides. The scheme relies on four static two‐dimensional maps of internal tide dissipation, constructed using mode‐by‐mode Lagrangian tracking of energy beams from sources to sinks. Each map is associated with a distinct dissipative process and a corresponding vertical structure. Applied to an observational climatology of stratification, the scheme produces a global three‐dimensional map of dissipation which compares well with available microstructure observations and with upper‐ocean finestructure mixing estimates. This relative agreement, both in magnitude and spatial structure across ocean basins, suggests that internal tides underpin most of observed dissipation in the ocean interior at the global scale. The proposed parameterization is therefore expected to improve understanding, mapping, and modeling of ocean mixing.

中文翻译：

---

本地和远程潮汐混合的参数化

垂直混合通常被认为是海洋模型的致命弱点。特别是，很少有模型包含由内部海潮引起的混合且受能量限制的综合参数化。在这里，我们提出了一种节能混合方案，该方案考虑了高模内部潮汐的局部破坏和低模内部潮汐的远距离消散。该方案依赖于内部潮汐消散的四个静态二维图，这些图是使用从源到汇的能量束的逐模拉格朗日跟踪构建的。每个图都与一个独特的耗散过程和一个相应的垂直结构相关联。应用于分层观测气候，该方案产生了一个全球三维耗散图，与可用的微观结构观测结果和上层海洋精细结构混合估算值进行了比较。整个海洋盆地在数量和空间结构上的这种相对一致性表明，在全球范围内，内部潮汐是海洋内部大部分观测到的消散的基础。因此，建议的参数化有望改善对海洋混合的理解，制图和建模。