Ocean dynamics is predominantly driven by the shear stress between the atmospheric winds and ocean currents. The mechanical power input to the ocean is fluctuating in space and time and the atmospheric wind sometimes decelerates the ocean currents. Building on 24 years of global satellite observations, the input of mechanical power to the ocean is analysed. A fluctuation theorem (FT) holds when the logarithm of the ratio between the occurrence of positive and negative events, of a certain magnitude of the power input, is a linear function of this magnitude and the averaging period. The flux of mechanical power to the ocean shows evidence of a FT for regions within the recirculation area of the subtropical gyre but not over extensions of western boundary currents. A FT puts a strong constraint on the temporal distribution of fluctuations of power input, connects variables obtained with different lengths of temporal averaging, guides the temporal down- and up-scaling and constrains the episodes of improbable events.

中文翻译：

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输入海洋风机械功率涨落定理的经验证据

海洋动力学主要由大气风和洋流之间的剪切应力驱动。输入到海洋的机械动力在空间和时间上波动，大气风有时会使洋流减速。以 24 年的全球卫星观测为基础，分析了输入海洋的机械动力。波动定理 (FT) 成立时，正负事件发生率之间的比值的对数在输入功率的某个量级是该量级和平均周期的线性函数时成立。流向海洋的机械能通量显示了亚热带环流再循环区域内区域的 FT 的证据，但没有超过西部边界流的延伸。