the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
| 13 Aug 2025
Advancing Turbulence Essential Ocean Variable: A Reference Glider-Based Microstructure Dataset from the Western Mediterranean
Abstract. We present a comprehensive dataset of turbulence microstructure measurements collected with a Micro Rider (MR-1000) from Rockland Scientific (RS) mounted on the Slocum Deep Glider “Teresa” across repeated transects between Sardinia and the Balearic Islands (SMART missions, 2015–2024). This dataset constitutes one of the most extensive autonomous glider-based microstructure archives to date for the Western Mediterranean, containing glider sections up to 1000 m-depth and delivering quality-controlled vertical profiles of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate (ε) and thermal variance dissipation rate (χ) across seasonal cycles and diverse water masses. The data were processed through a rigorous multilevel workflow (L0–L4), following community best practices for processing, quality control, and uncertainty quantification. Final products include estimates of ε from dual shear probes and χ from dual fast thermistor probes, aligned with co-located hydrographic and oxygen measurements. This dataset provides a high-resolution resource for investigating fine-scale mixing, validating parameterizations, improving turbulence representation in models, and modeling physical processes. All data and processing codes are openly provided to support reuse, reproducibility, and integration into global efforts advancing the inclusion of turbulence as an Essential Ocean Variable.
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Status: open (until 30 Nov 2025)
- RC1: 'Comment on essd-2025-451', Anonymous Referee #1, 15 Oct 2025 reply
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RC2: 'Comment on essd-2025-451', Anonymous Referee #2, 08 Nov 2025
reply
Summary of the paper
The paper “Advancing Turbulence Essential Ocean Variable: A Reference Glider-Based Microstructure Dataset from the Western Mediterranean” presents a decade-long (2015–2024) dataset of turbulence measurements collected by a Slocum Deep Glider equipped with a Rockland MicroRider. The missions repeatedly crossed the Sardinia–Balearic transect, producing over 3,000 high-quality profiles of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation (ε) and thermal variance dissipation (χ) down to 1000 m depth. The dataset, processed through standardized L0–L4 levels and validated against strict QC metrics, represents one of the largest autonomous microstructure archives in the Mediterranean.
Review summary
I am OK to publish the paper with minor revisions. The dataset is of high value and well-documented. The main improvements should focus on clarifying and tightening the introduction, replacing subjective or informal wording, and adding representative turbulence spectra to better demonstrate data quality and satisfy the expectations of turbulence specialists.
Fig. 1 & L70–110 – Replace “expected” ε profiles with observed average data; clarify whether values are measured or estimated.
L83–100 – Add citations for regional circulation and mesoscale dynamics; clarify that the author is not an expert in the region.
L105–110 – Rephrase “abyssal peace” and “natural mixed layer”; use neutral scientific language.
L120–135 – Include citations for turbulence parameterization and EOV framework; clarify what “expected dissipation levels” mean.
L125–130 – Add explicit mention of spectral methods and noise floor corrections.
L165–195 (Data & Methods) – Define Level 0 clearly here; improve flow—some content fits better under “Processing.”
L175–180 – Replace “averaging involved” by “segmentation or windowing”; clarify that raw data are not averaged prior to spectra.
L195–200 – “On the contrary” instead of “At the contrary.”
L200–225 – Explicitly state which spectral model and integration limits are used for ε and χ (Nasmyth vs Batchelor); mention the electronic noise floor.
L230–240, Fig. 2 – Cite Lueck et al. 2024 explicitly when stating the workflow follows it “exactly.”
L250–265 – In Table 1, note that this is a list of routines, not processing “steps.”
L480–495 – Simplify data structure description; too detailed for ESSD, could be moved to Supplement.
L545–570 (QC section) – Explain rationale for focusing on QC=2 rather than others; the purpose and statistical relevance are unclear.
L560–565 – Use FOM = 1.15 as the nominal threshold (per Lueck et al. 2024) and note that users can apply their own.
L565–570 – Remove statements implying that removal is “unnecessary”; just report the data and FOM values.
Fig. 3–4 – Add a few examples (panels or zoomed insets) illustrating good vs problematic QC spectra.
Minor editorial – Fix “than” → “then” (L580), typos like “enventually,” “affixable,” and consistent use of italics for ε and χ.
Additional suggestion – Include representative shear and thermistor spectra in the Results or Supplement (always appreciated by turbulence experts).
Data sets
Turbulence microstructure dataset from Slocum Glider Teresa (Western Mediterranean, 2015–2024) Florian Volmer Martin Kokoszka et al. https://doi.org/10.17882/107995
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General comment: This data manuscript describes a unique and valuable microstructure dataset sampled with a glider over several years and seasons in the western Mediterranean. The manuscript provides and exhaustive overview of the data processing, which will be quite useful for anyone using this dataset in the future.
Few sections can be shortened without trying to produce a review or give arguments that such a dataset contains key parameters. All measured variables in the ocean are valuable and need to be publicly available, whether they are scarce (such as microstructure observations) or widely collected (such as CTDs).
You will find all my comments, questions and suggestions in the commented PDF attached to my review.
With kind regards.