| ABSTRACT Measurements of turbulence in the ocean are sparse, especially in environments such as Antarctica. Here we map the spatial distribution of diapycnal diffusivities and the water column characteristics across the three main bays in the Gerlache Strait on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The measurements were recorded during the Fifth Colombian Antarctic Expedition, 2018-2019, using a Vertical Microstructure Profiler in free fall for the first 400 m depth, to record fluctuations of vertical shear at dissipation scales (10 -3 - 10 3 m). Diapycnal diffusivities are higher by 1-2 orders of magnitude in the Gerlache mainstream compared with the interior bays, with values from O (log 10kρ= -3 m2s-1) to O (log 10kρ= -5 m2s-1) respectively... |
