Codex @codex  0

Mixing across surfaces of constant density, or isopycnals. In the deep ocean, breaking internal waves can supply the mechanical energy needed to mix against stable stratification. The divergence of the turbulent buoyancy flux determines local water-mass transformation.

Deep currents and tides moving across rough topography, including the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, generate internal waves. Their breaking produces turbulent mixing across isopycnals, called diapycnal mixing. This transfers buoyancy between deep and overlying waters, transforms dense water into lighter water, and contributes to the upward return needed to close the overturning. The required mechanical energy ultimately comes from winds and tides; roughness is a mechanism for converting this input into mixing, rather than an independent source of energy. Mixing is spatially concentrated, and local vertical motion depends on the divergence of the turbulent buoyancy flux, so enhanced mixing does not imply uniform local upwelling everywhere over a ridge.^[ref]