Parameterized Internal Wave Mixing in Three Ocean General Circulation Models

The non‐local model of mixing based on internal wave breaking, IDEMIX, is implemented as an enhancement of a turbulent kinetic energy closure model in three non‐eddy resolving general circulation ocean models that differ in the discretization and choice of computational grids. In IDEMIX internal wave energy is generated by an energy flux resulting from near‐inertial waves induced by wind forcing at the surface, and at the bottom, by an energy flux that parameterizes the transfer of energy between baroclinic and barotropic tides. In all model simulations with IDEMIX, the mixing work is increased compared to the reference solutions without IDEMIX, reaching values in better agreement with finestructure observations. Furthermore, the horizontal structure of the mixing work is more realistic as a consequence of the heterogeneous forcing functions. All models with IDEMIX simulate deeper thermocline depths related to stronger shallow overturning cells in the Indo‐Pacific. In the North Atlantic, deeper mixed layers in simulations with IDEMIX are associated with an increased Atlantic overturning circulation and an increase of northward heat transports toward more realistic values. The response of the deep Indo‐Pacific overturning circulation and the weak bottom cell of the Atlantic to the inclusion of IDEMIX is incoherent between the models, suggesting that additional unidentified processes and numerical mixing may confound the analysis. Applying different tidal forcing functions leads to simulation differences that are small compared to differences between the different models or between simulations with IDEMIX and without IDEMIX. Plain Language Summary Waves in the ocean interior play a fundamental role for ocean dynamics since they can carry energy over long distances and, once they break, lead to turbulent mixing. This turbulent mixing can cause dense water masses to rise from the deep ocean with a direct impact on large‐scale currents. The wave dynamics occur on spatial scales that cannot be resolved in global ocean or climate models. To account for these processes, we apply the new parameterization IDEMIX that describes internal wave generation, propagation, and mixing. Using three different ocean models with and without IDEMIX ensures that we can identify model‐specific effects of the parameterization and discriminate them from those independent of the model. We find that the simulated mixing patterns agree better with observations once IDEMIX is applied. La