  The exploration of a two-dimensional wind-driven ocean model with no-slip
boundaries reveals the existence of a turbulent asymptotic regime where energy
dissipation becomes independent of fluid viscosity. This asymptotic flow
represents an out-of-equilibrium state, characterized by a vigorous
two-dimensional vortex gas superimposed onto a western-intensified gyre. The
properties of the vortex gas are elucidated through scaling analysis for
detached Prandtl boundary layers, providing a rationalization for the observed
anomalous dissipation. The asymptotic regime demonstrates that boundary
instabilities alone can be strong enough to evacuate wind-injected energy from
the large-scale oceanic circulation.
