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- Author or Editor: Markus Jochum x
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Abstract
A numerical model of the tropical Pacific Ocean is used to investigate the processes that cause the horizontal temperature advection of tropical instability waves (TIWs). It is found that their temperature advection cannot be explained by the processes on which the mixing length paradigm is based. Horizontal mixing of temperature across the equatorial SST front does happen, but it is small relative to the “oscillatory” temperature advection of TIWs. The basic mechanism is that TIWs move water back and forth across a patch of large vertical entrainment. Outside this patch, the atmosphere heats the water and this heat is then transferred into the thermocline inside the patch. These patches of strong localized entrainment are due to equatorial Ekman divergence and due to thinning of the mixed layer in the TIW cyclones. The latter process is responsible for the zonal temperature advection, which is as large as the meridional temperature advection but has not yet been observed. Thus, in the previous observational literature the TIW contribution to the mixed layer heat budget may have been underestimated significantly.
Abstract
A numerical model of the tropical Pacific Ocean is used to investigate the processes that cause the horizontal temperature advection of tropical instability waves (TIWs). It is found that their temperature advection cannot be explained by the processes on which the mixing length paradigm is based. Horizontal mixing of temperature across the equatorial SST front does happen, but it is small relative to the “oscillatory” temperature advection of TIWs. The basic mechanism is that TIWs move water back and forth across a patch of large vertical entrainment. Outside this patch, the atmosphere heats the water and this heat is then transferred into the thermocline inside the patch. These patches of strong localized entrainment are due to equatorial Ekman divergence and due to thinning of the mixed layer in the TIW cyclones. The latter process is responsible for the zonal temperature advection, which is as large as the meridional temperature advection but has not yet been observed. Thus, in the previous observational literature the TIW contribution to the mixed layer heat budget may have been underestimated significantly.
Abstract
A 40-yr integration of an eddy-resolving numerical model of the tropical Indian Ocean is analyzed to quantify the interannual variability that is caused by the internal variability of ocean dynamics. It is found that along the equator in the western Indian Ocean internal variability contributes significantly to the observed interannual variability. This suggests that in this location the predictability of SST is limited to the persistence time of SST anomalies, which is approximately 100 days. Furthermore, a comparison with other sources of variability suggests that internal variability may play an important role in modifying the Indian monsoon or preconditioning the Indian Ocean dipole/zonal mode.
Abstract
A 40-yr integration of an eddy-resolving numerical model of the tropical Indian Ocean is analyzed to quantify the interannual variability that is caused by the internal variability of ocean dynamics. It is found that along the equator in the western Indian Ocean internal variability contributes significantly to the observed interannual variability. This suggests that in this location the predictability of SST is limited to the persistence time of SST anomalies, which is approximately 100 days. Furthermore, a comparison with other sources of variability suggests that internal variability may play an important role in modifying the Indian monsoon or preconditioning the Indian Ocean dipole/zonal mode.
Abstract
Several observational studies suggest that the vertical diffusivity in the Indonesian marginal seas is an order of magnitude larger than in the open ocean and what is used in most ocean general circulation models. The experiments described in this paper show that increasing the background diffusivity in the Banda Sea from the commonly used value of 0.1 cm2 s−1 to the observed value of 1 cm2 s−1 improves the watermass properties there by reproducing the observed thick layer of Banda Sea Water. The resulting reduced sea surface temperatures lead to weaker convection and a redistribution of precipitation, away from the Indonesian seas toward the equatorial Indian and Pacific Oceans. In particular, the boreal summer precipitation maximum of the Indonesian seas shifts northward from the Banda Sea toward Borneo, which reduces a longstanding bias in the simulation of the Austral–Asian Monsoon in the Community Climate System Model. Because of the positive feedback mechanisms inherent in tropical atmosphere dynamics, a reduction in Banda Sea heat loss of only 5% leads locally to a reduction in convection of 20%.
Abstract
Several observational studies suggest that the vertical diffusivity in the Indonesian marginal seas is an order of magnitude larger than in the open ocean and what is used in most ocean general circulation models. The experiments described in this paper show that increasing the background diffusivity in the Banda Sea from the commonly used value of 0.1 cm2 s−1 to the observed value of 1 cm2 s−1 improves the watermass properties there by reproducing the observed thick layer of Banda Sea Water. The resulting reduced sea surface temperatures lead to weaker convection and a redistribution of precipitation, away from the Indonesian seas toward the equatorial Indian and Pacific Oceans. In particular, the boreal summer precipitation maximum of the Indonesian seas shifts northward from the Banda Sea toward Borneo, which reduces a longstanding bias in the simulation of the Austral–Asian Monsoon in the Community Climate System Model. Because of the positive feedback mechanisms inherent in tropical atmosphere dynamics, a reduction in Banda Sea heat loss of only 5% leads locally to a reduction in convection of 20%.
Abstract
An ocean GCM is used for idealized studies of the Atlantic circulation in a square basin. The subtropical, the tropical, and the equatorial gyres are produced by forcing the model with a wind stress profile having only latitudinal dependence. The goal is to understand the effect of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) on the Atlantic intergyre exchanges. The MOC is imposed by prescribing an inflow all along the southern boundary and an outflow at the northern boundary. The results indicate that the northward flow of the MOC has a crucial effect on the subtropical–tropical pathways. In this idealized configuration the North Atlantic wind field creates a basinwide potential vorticity barrier. Therefore, the water subducted in the North Atlantic has to flow to the western boundary before turning equatorward. This is shown by the trajectories of floats injected in a band of northern latitudes. The warm water return flow of the MOC inhibits this pathway and reduces the inflow of North Atlantic waters into the equator from 10 Sv in the purely wind-driven case to 2 Sv (Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1). Thus, the equatorial thermocline consists mainly of water from the South Atlantic. The analysis of synthetic float trajectories reveals two distinct routes for the return flow of the MOC, the first one occurring in the intermediate layers along the western boundary and the second all across the basin in the surface layer. The surface path starts with water subducting in the South Atlantic subtropical gyre, flowing within the North Brazil Current to the equator, entering the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC), becoming entrained into the tropical mixed layer, and finally flowing northward in the Ekman layer. The contribution of thermocline water to the MOC return flow is negligible.
Abstract
An ocean GCM is used for idealized studies of the Atlantic circulation in a square basin. The subtropical, the tropical, and the equatorial gyres are produced by forcing the model with a wind stress profile having only latitudinal dependence. The goal is to understand the effect of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) on the Atlantic intergyre exchanges. The MOC is imposed by prescribing an inflow all along the southern boundary and an outflow at the northern boundary. The results indicate that the northward flow of the MOC has a crucial effect on the subtropical–tropical pathways. In this idealized configuration the North Atlantic wind field creates a basinwide potential vorticity barrier. Therefore, the water subducted in the North Atlantic has to flow to the western boundary before turning equatorward. This is shown by the trajectories of floats injected in a band of northern latitudes. The warm water return flow of the MOC inhibits this pathway and reduces the inflow of North Atlantic waters into the equator from 10 Sv in the purely wind-driven case to 2 Sv (Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1). Thus, the equatorial thermocline consists mainly of water from the South Atlantic. The analysis of synthetic float trajectories reveals two distinct routes for the return flow of the MOC, the first one occurring in the intermediate layers along the western boundary and the second all across the basin in the surface layer. The surface path starts with water subducting in the South Atlantic subtropical gyre, flowing within the North Brazil Current to the equator, entering the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC), becoming entrained into the tropical mixed layer, and finally flowing northward in the Ekman layer. The contribution of thermocline water to the MOC return flow is negligible.
Abstract
An idealized numerical simulation of the tropical Atlantic Ocean is used to study the dynamics of an Atlantic subsurface countercurrent, the South Equatorial Undercurrent (SEUC). The particular structure of the SEUC between 28° and 10°W allows for a reformulation of the transformed Eulerian mean (TEM) equations with which the momentum balance of the SEUC can be explored. With this modified TEM framework, it is shown that between 28° and 10°W the SEUC is maintained against dissipation by the convergence of the Eliassen–Palm flux. The source of this Eliassen–Palm flux is the tropical instability waves that are generated along the shear between the Equatorial Undercurrent and the South Equatorial Current.
Abstract
An idealized numerical simulation of the tropical Atlantic Ocean is used to study the dynamics of an Atlantic subsurface countercurrent, the South Equatorial Undercurrent (SEUC). The particular structure of the SEUC between 28° and 10°W allows for a reformulation of the transformed Eulerian mean (TEM) equations with which the momentum balance of the SEUC can be explored. With this modified TEM framework, it is shown that between 28° and 10°W the SEUC is maintained against dissipation by the convergence of the Eliassen–Palm flux. The source of this Eliassen–Palm flux is the tropical instability waves that are generated along the shear between the Equatorial Undercurrent and the South Equatorial Current.
Abstract
A previous study on the generation of equatorial subsurface countercurrents is revisited to clarify some details of the assumptions that are needed to derive the momentum budget. The opportunity is also used to put the study into the context of other previous studies that use quasigeostrophic theory to generalize the transformed Eulerian mean equations.
Abstract
A previous study on the generation of equatorial subsurface countercurrents is revisited to clarify some details of the assumptions that are needed to derive the momentum budget. The opportunity is also used to put the study into the context of other previous studies that use quasigeostrophic theory to generalize the transformed Eulerian mean equations.
FOWD: A Free Ocean Wave Dataset for Data Mining and Machine LearningAbstract
The occurrence of extreme (rogue) waves in the ocean is for the most part still shrouded in mystery, because the rare nature of these events makes them difficult to analyze with traditional methods. Modern data-mining and machine-learning methods provide a promising way out, but they typically rely on the availability of massive amounts of well-cleaned data. To facilitate the application of such data-hungry methods to surface ocean waves, we developed the Free Ocean Wave Dataset (FOWD), a freely available wave dataset and processing framework. FOWD describes the conversion of raw observations into a catalog that maps characteristic sea state parameters to observed wave quantities. Specifically, we employ a running-window approach that respects the nonstationary nature of the oceans, and extensive quality control to reduce bias in the resulting dataset. We also supply a reference Python implementation of the FOWD processing toolkit, which we use to process the entire Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) buoy data catalog containing over 4 billion waves. In a first experiment, we find that, when the full elevation time series is available, surface elevation kurtosis and maximum wave height are the strongest univariate predictors for rogue wave activity. When just a spectrum is given, crest–trough correlation, spectral bandwidth, and mean period fill this role.
Abstract
The occurrence of extreme (rogue) waves in the ocean is for the most part still shrouded in mystery, because the rare nature of these events makes them difficult to analyze with traditional methods. Modern data-mining and machine-learning methods provide a promising way out, but they typically rely on the availability of massive amounts of well-cleaned data. To facilitate the application of such data-hungry methods to surface ocean waves, we developed the Free Ocean Wave Dataset (FOWD), a freely available wave dataset and processing framework. FOWD describes the conversion of raw observations into a catalog that maps characteristic sea state parameters to observed wave quantities. Specifically, we employ a running-window approach that respects the nonstationary nature of the oceans, and extensive quality control to reduce bias in the resulting dataset. We also supply a reference Python implementation of the FOWD processing toolkit, which we use to process the entire Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) buoy data catalog containing over 4 billion waves. In a first experiment, we find that, when the full elevation time series is available, surface elevation kurtosis and maximum wave height are the strongest univariate predictors for rogue wave activity. When just a spectrum is given, crest–trough correlation, spectral bandwidth, and mean period fill this role.
Abstract
The influence of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) on the dynamics and the thermodynamics in the southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO) is studied by analyzing a forced ocean model simulation for the Indo-Pacific region. The warm ITF waters reach the subsurface SWIO from August to early December, with a detectable influence on weakening the vertical stratification and reducing the stability of the water column. As a dynamical consequence, baroclinic instabilities and oceanic intraseasonal variabilities (OISVs) are enhanced. The temporal and spatial scales of the OISVs are determined by the ITF-modified stratification. Thermodynamically, the ITF waters influence the subtle balance between the stratification and the mixing in the SWIO. As a result, from October to early December an unusual warm entrainment occurs, and the SSTs warm faster than just net surface heat flux–driven warming. In late December and January, the signature of the ITF is seen as a relatively slower warming of SSTs. A conceptual model for the processes by which the ITF impacts the SWIO is proposed.
Abstract
The influence of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) on the dynamics and the thermodynamics in the southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO) is studied by analyzing a forced ocean model simulation for the Indo-Pacific region. The warm ITF waters reach the subsurface SWIO from August to early December, with a detectable influence on weakening the vertical stratification and reducing the stability of the water column. As a dynamical consequence, baroclinic instabilities and oceanic intraseasonal variabilities (OISVs) are enhanced. The temporal and spatial scales of the OISVs are determined by the ITF-modified stratification. Thermodynamically, the ITF waters influence the subtle balance between the stratification and the mixing in the SWIO. As a result, from October to early December an unusual warm entrainment occurs, and the SSTs warm faster than just net surface heat flux–driven warming. In late December and January, the signature of the ITF is seen as a relatively slower warming of SSTs. A conceptual model for the processes by which the ITF impacts the SWIO is proposed.
Abstract
The spatial and temporal features of intraseasonal oscillations in the southwestern Indian Ocean are studied by analyzing model simulations for the Indo-Pacific region. The intraseasonal oscillations have periods of 40–80 days with a wavelength of ∼650 km. They originate from the southeastern Indian Ocean and propagate westward as Rossby waves with a phase speed of ∼25 cm s−1 in boreal winter and spring. The baroclinic instability is the main driver for these intraseasonal oscillations. The first baroclinic mode dominates during most of the year, but during boreal winter and spring the second mode contributes significantly and often equally. Consequently, the intraseasonal oscillations are relatively strong in boreal winter and spring. Whether the atmospheric intraseasonal oscillations are also important for forcing the oceanic intraseasonal oscillations in the southwestern Indian Ocean needs further investigation.
Abstract
The spatial and temporal features of intraseasonal oscillations in the southwestern Indian Ocean are studied by analyzing model simulations for the Indo-Pacific region. The intraseasonal oscillations have periods of 40–80 days with a wavelength of ∼650 km. They originate from the southeastern Indian Ocean and propagate westward as Rossby waves with a phase speed of ∼25 cm s−1 in boreal winter and spring. The baroclinic instability is the main driver for these intraseasonal oscillations. The first baroclinic mode dominates during most of the year, but during boreal winter and spring the second mode contributes significantly and often equally. Consequently, the intraseasonal oscillations are relatively strong in boreal winter and spring. Whether the atmospheric intraseasonal oscillations are also important for forcing the oceanic intraseasonal oscillations in the southwestern Indian Ocean needs further investigation.
Abstract
Atmospheric general circulation model experiments are conducted to quantify the contribution of internal oceanic variability in the form of tropical instability waves (TIWs) to interannual wind and rainfall variability in the tropical Pacific. It is found that in the tropical Pacific, along the equator, and near 25°N and 25°S, TIWs force a significant increase in wind and rainfall variability from interseasonal to interannual time scales. Because of the stochastic nature of TIWs, this means that climate models that do not take them into account will underestimate the strength and number of extreme events and may overestimate forecast capability.
Abstract
Atmospheric general circulation model experiments are conducted to quantify the contribution of internal oceanic variability in the form of tropical instability waves (TIWs) to interannual wind and rainfall variability in the tropical Pacific. It is found that in the tropical Pacific, along the equator, and near 25°N and 25°S, TIWs force a significant increase in wind and rainfall variability from interseasonal to interannual time scales. Because of the stochastic nature of TIWs, this means that climate models that do not take them into account will underestimate the strength and number of extreme events and may overestimate forecast capability.
