Fig. 2. Turbulence regimes in parameter slices in winter.

a h/L_s = 0.1. b h/L_s = 5. c h/L_s = 50. d h/L_L = 0.1. e h/L_L = 1. f h/L_L = 10. g La_t = 0.1. h La_t = 0.3. i, La_t = 0.8. The regimes (GSP: geostrophic shear production turbulence; LSP: Langmuir shear production turbulence; VBP: vertical buoyancy production turbulence; AGSP: ageostrophic shear production turbulence) denoted by different color patches are defined by the dominant production terms in the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budget. The white contours enclose 30%, 60%, and 90% of the locations with the corresponding values. A regime is considered dominant when its contribution exceeds 75% of the total dissipation, otherwise, it is a two-turbulence-mixed regime when two TKE sources both contribute more than 25% while all others contribute less than 25%, and lastly, it is a mixed regime if more than three sources of turbulence contribute more than 25%¹¹. The distributions indicate that GSP is an important regime for ocean surface boundary layer turbulence over the globe, especially at locations with strong frontal geostrophic shears.