Laboratory and numerical investigations of the dynamics of ocean circulation will be conducted. The central focus is the combined effect of different external forcing mechanisms, such as sea surface buoyancy flux and stresses, and stresses at the sea floor. Several poorly understood physical mechanisms of importance to ocean general circulation models like the subduction of mixed layer fluid, the recirculation between the mixed layer and the interior, and the effect of sloping boundary layer on deep western boundary currents will be studied.
