Articles | Volume 11, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-11-591-2015
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-11-591-2015
Research article
 | 
27 Jul 2015
Research article |  | 27 Jul 2015

Exploring the isopycnal mixing and helium–heat paradoxes in a suite of Earth system models

A. Gnanadesikan, M.-A. Pradal, and R. Abernathey

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Short summary
Many ocean circulation models use representations of lateral mixing based on instability theories that predict weak mixing in the ocean interior, much lower than observed. We show that using more realistic mixing improves the distribution of mantle helium-3. It does not, however, resolve the paradox that models reproduce the relationship between mantle helium and radiocarbon with a flux of helium-3 lower than is consistent with the heat leaving the mantle.