The 43rd meeting of the Sandbox Series will be held online: To join remotely via Webex: https://stuod.my.webex.com/stuod.my/j.php?MTID=m6cbd750462f369b27ea3d39fe4506d5f Problems and prospects at the frontier of ocean model theory and practice Abstract: We discuss questions related to representation and parameterization in global ocean climate modelling. First, we consider mesoscale eddy backscatter as a method that enhances the energetics of scales explicitly represented, rather than parameterizing scales that are missing.  Advances with backscatter suggest that it can allow us to remove traditional mesoscale parameterizations well before fully resolving the mesoscale.  However, there remain outstanding issues with backscatter, possibly related to ocean boundaries.  Second, we summarize results on global climate modeling that point to the payoffs arising from respecting the ocean’s relatively small levels of interior diapyncal mixing, while admitting a suitably strong level of vertical buoyancy transport by mesoscale eddies.  This work has resulted, for the first time, in an understanding, and resolution, of the climate model drift conundrum that plagues all CMIP class models. We close by speculating that fundamental advances in model theory and practice will result from enhancing the simulated vorticity and potential vorticity fields, particularly in their connection to mechanical processes at boundaries. Schedule 12.00-13.00: Stephen Griffies 13.00-14.00: Discussion

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