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Characterization of local energy transfer in large-scale intermittent stratified turbulent flows via coarse-graining

Raffaello Foldes*

Raffaele Marino

Silvio Sergio Cerri

Enrico Camporeale

  • *Contact author: raffaello.foldes@ec-lyon.fr
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Phys. Rev. Fluids 10, 043803 – Published 30 April, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevFluids.10.043803

Abstract

Recent studies based on simulations of the Boussinesq equations indicate that stratified turbulent flows can develop large-scale intermittency in the velocity and temperature fields, as detected in the atmosphere and oceans. In particular, emerging powerful vertical drafts were found to generate local turbulence, proving necessary for stratified flows to dissipate the energy as efficiently as homogeneous isotropic turbulent flows. The existence of regions characterized by enhanced turbulence and dissipation, as observed, for instance, in the ocean, requires appropriate tools to assess how energy is transferred across the scales and at the same time locally in the physical space. After refining a classical coarse-graining procedure, here we investigate the feedback of extreme vertical velocity drafts on energy transfer and exchanges in subdomains of simulations of stably stratified flows of geophysical interest. Our analysis shows that vertical drafts are indeed able to trigger upscale and downscale energy transfers, strengthening the coupling between kinetic and potential energies at certain scales, depending on the intensity of the local vertical velocity.

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Phys. Rev. Fluids 10, 043803– Published 30 April, 2025
  • Received 4 December 2024
  • Accepted 26 March 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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