Walesby K. auteur aut IRD Vialard Jérôme auteur aut IRD Minnett P. J. auteur aut IRD Callaghan A. H. auteur aut IRD Ward B. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access Double diffusion can result in the formation of thermohaline staircases, typically observed in the ocean interior. The observations presented here were acquired in the ocean surface boundary layer with the autonomous microstructure Air-Sea Interaction Profiler. An intense rain event (rainfall rates of up to 35mm/h) resulted in cooler, fresher water (up to 0.15practical salinity unit (psu) over the upper 7-10m) overlaying warmer, saltier water, a situation potentially conducive to double-diffusive mixing. Although not as crisp as interfaces in the interior ocean because of elevated background mixing, a total of 303 thermohaline interfaces were detected within and at the base of the fresh layer, with mean changes in temperature (T) and salinity (S) across interfaces of 20 x 10(-3 degrees)C and 22 x 10(-3)psu, respectively. These results call for new studies to disambiguate whether such interfaces are formed through double-diffusive mixing or shear instabilities and understand any long-term impacts on near-surface stratification. specialized double diffusion surface ocean boundary layer Air-Sea Interaction Profiler OCEAN INDIEN 032 42 10 3963-3972 2015 0094-8276 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010064738 10.1002/2015gl063506 0094-8276 [F B010064738] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010064738 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2015/07/010064738.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2015-07-29 2021-11-13 fdi:010064738 fre