Parameterizing Isopycnal Mixing via Kinetic Energy Backscatter in an Eddy-Permitting Ocean Model

This article led by Matt Pudig explores how to better represent mesoscale turbulence in ocean models that only partially resolve eddies. The work focuses on “backscatter” parameterizations, which reintroduce energy into the system, and examines whether they can also improve how tracers mix along density surfaces. Using idealized simulations, the authors show that backscatter alone can substantially enhance the realism of this mixing, closely matching much higher-resolution models and outperforming more conventional approaches. The findings point to a promising, unified framework for capturing key ocean processes and improving the fidelity of climate-scale ocean simulations without requiring much finer resolution.