Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Influences of Sea Surface Temperature Gradients and Surface Roughness Changes on the Motion of Surface Oil: A Simple Idealized Study

Yangxing Zheng Center for Ocean–Atmospheric Prediction Studies, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

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Mark A. Bourassa Center for Ocean–Atmospheric Prediction Studies, and Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

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Paul Hughes Center for Ocean–Atmospheric Prediction Studies, and Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

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Print Publication:
01 Jul 2013
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-12-0211.1
Page(s):
1561–1575
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Abstract

The authors' modeling shows that changes in sea surface temperature (SST) gradients and surface roughness between oil-free water and oil slicks influence the motion of the slick. Physically significant changes occur in surface wind speed, surface wind divergence, wind stress curl, and Ekman transport mostly because of SST gradients and changes in surface roughness between the water and the slick. These remarkable changes might affect the speed and direction of surface oil. For example, the strongest surface wind divergence (convergence) occurring in the transition zones owing to the presence of an oil slick will induce an atmospheric secondary circulation over the oil region, which in turn might affect the surface oil movement. SST-related changes to wind stress curl and Ekman transport in the transition zones appear to increase approximately linearly with the magnitude of SST gradients. Both surface roughness difference and SST gradients give rise to a net convergence of Ekman transport for oil cover. The SST gradient could play a more important role than surface roughness in changes of Ekman transport when SST gradients are large enough (e.g., several degrees per 10 km). The resulting changes in Ekman transport also induce the changes of surface oil movement. Sensitivity experiments show that appropriate selections of modeled parameters and geostrophic winds do not change the conclusions. The results from this idealized study indicate that the feedbacks from the surface oil presence to the oil motion itself are not trivial and should be further investigated for consideration in future oil-tracking modeling systems.

Corresponding author address: Yangxing Zheng, Center for Ocean–Atmosphere Prediction Studies, The Florida State University, 2035 E. Paul Dirac Dr., Johnson Building, Tallahassee, FL 32310. E-mail: yzheng@fsu.edu

Abstract

The authors' modeling shows that changes in sea surface temperature (SST) gradients and surface roughness between oil-free water and oil slicks influence the motion of the slick. Physically significant changes occur in surface wind speed, surface wind divergence, wind stress curl, and Ekman transport mostly because of SST gradients and changes in surface roughness between the water and the slick. These remarkable changes might affect the speed and direction of surface oil. For example, the strongest surface wind divergence (convergence) occurring in the transition zones owing to the presence of an oil slick will induce an atmospheric secondary circulation over the oil region, which in turn might affect the surface oil movement. SST-related changes to wind stress curl and Ekman transport in the transition zones appear to increase approximately linearly with the magnitude of SST gradients. Both surface roughness difference and SST gradients give rise to a net convergence of Ekman transport for oil cover. The SST gradient could play a more important role than surface roughness in changes of Ekman transport when SST gradients are large enough (e.g., several degrees per 10 km). The resulting changes in Ekman transport also induce the changes of surface oil movement. Sensitivity experiments show that appropriate selections of modeled parameters and geostrophic winds do not change the conclusions. The results from this idealized study indicate that the feedbacks from the surface oil presence to the oil motion itself are not trivial and should be further investigated for consideration in future oil-tracking modeling systems.

Corresponding author address: Yangxing Zheng, Center for Ocean–Atmosphere Prediction Studies, The Florida State University, 2035 E. Paul Dirac Dr., Johnson Building, Tallahassee, FL 32310. E-mail: yzheng@fsu.edu
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