Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Modifications to the K-Profile Parameterization with Nondiffusive Fluxes for Langmuir Turbulence

Tomas Chor aUniversity of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California

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James C. McWilliams aUniversity of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California

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Marcelo Chamecki aUniversity of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California

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Online Publication:
26 Apr 2021
Print Publication:
01 May 2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0250.1
Page(s):
1503–1521
Restricted access

Abstract

The K-profile parameterization (KPP) is a common method to model turbulent fluxes in regional and global oceanic models. Many versions of KPP exist in the oceanic sciences community, and one of their main differences is how they take the effects of nonbreaking waves into account. Although there is qualitative consensus that nonbreaking waves enhance vertical mixing due to the ensuing Langmuir circulations, there is no consensus on the quantitative aspects and modeling approach. In this paper we use a recently developed method to estimate both components of KPP (the diffusive term, usually called local, and the nondiffusive component, usually called nonlocal) based on numerically simulated turbulent fluxes without any a priori assumptions about their scaling or their shape. Through this method we show that the cubic shape usually used in KPP is not optimal for wavy situations and propose new ones. Furthermore, we show that the formulation for the nondiffusive fluxes, which currently only depend on the presence of surface buoyancy fluxes, should also take wave effects into account. We also investigate how the application of these changes to KPP improves the representation of turbulent fluxes in a diagnostic approach when compared with previous models.

Supplemental information related to this paper is available at the Journals Online website: https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0250.s1.

© 2021 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Chor’s current affiliation: Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland.

Publisher’s Note: This article was revised on 20 June 2024 to correct the display of values of Bs in the third column of Table 2. Only the display was affected—all associated analyses and conclusions are not impacted.

Publisher’s Note: This article was revised on 14 August 2024 to correct a typographical error in Eq. (A7) that was present when originally published.

Corresponding author: Marcelo Chamecki, chamecki@ucla.edu

Abstract

The K-profile parameterization (KPP) is a common method to model turbulent fluxes in regional and global oceanic models. Many versions of KPP exist in the oceanic sciences community, and one of their main differences is how they take the effects of nonbreaking waves into account. Although there is qualitative consensus that nonbreaking waves enhance vertical mixing due to the ensuing Langmuir circulations, there is no consensus on the quantitative aspects and modeling approach. In this paper we use a recently developed method to estimate both components of KPP (the diffusive term, usually called local, and the nondiffusive component, usually called nonlocal) based on numerically simulated turbulent fluxes without any a priori assumptions about their scaling or their shape. Through this method we show that the cubic shape usually used in KPP is not optimal for wavy situations and propose new ones. Furthermore, we show that the formulation for the nondiffusive fluxes, which currently only depend on the presence of surface buoyancy fluxes, should also take wave effects into account. We also investigate how the application of these changes to KPP improves the representation of turbulent fluxes in a diagnostic approach when compared with previous models.

Supplemental information related to this paper is available at the Journals Online website: https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0250.s1.

© 2021 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Chor’s current affiliation: Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland.

Publisher’s Note: This article was revised on 20 June 2024 to correct the display of values of Bs in the third column of Table 2. Only the display was affected—all associated analyses and conclusions are not impacted.

Publisher’s Note: This article was revised on 14 August 2024 to correct a typographical error in Eq. (A7) that was present when originally published.

Corresponding author: Marcelo Chamecki, chamecki@ucla.edu

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