Recipes for How to Force Oceanic Model Dynamics
Abstract The current feedback to the atmosphere (CFB) contributes to the oceanic circulation by damping eddies. In an ocean‐atmosphere coupled model, CFB can be correctly accounted for by using the wind relative to the oceanic current. However, its implementation in a forced oceanic model is less st...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019MS001715 |
| _version_ | 1818808515393748992 |
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| author | Lionel Renault S. Masson T. Arsouze Gurvan Madec James C. McWilliams |
| author_facet | Lionel Renault S. Masson T. Arsouze Gurvan Madec James C. McWilliams |
| author_sort | Lionel Renault |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The current feedback to the atmosphere (CFB) contributes to the oceanic circulation by damping eddies. In an ocean‐atmosphere coupled model, CFB can be correctly accounted for by using the wind relative to the oceanic current. However, its implementation in a forced oceanic model is less straightforward as CFB also enhances the 10‐m wind. Wind products based on observations have seen real currents that will not necessarily correspond to model currents, whereas meteorological reanalyses often neglect surface currents or use surface currents that, again, will differ from the surface currents of the forced oceanic simulation. In this study, we use a set of quasi‐global oceanic simulations, coupled or not with the atmosphere, to (i) quantify the error associated with the different existing strategies of forcing an oceanic model, (ii) test different parameterizations of the CFB, and (iii) propose the best strategy to account for CFB in forced oceanic simulation. We show that scatterometer wind or stress are not suitable to properly represent the CFB in forced oceanic simulation. We furthermore demonstrate that a parameterization of CFB based on a wind‐predicted coupling coefficient between the surface current and the stress allows us to reproduce the main characteristics of a coupled simulation. Such a parameterization can be used with any forcing set, including future coupled reanalyses, assuming that the associated oceanic surface currents are known. A further assessment of the thermal feedback of the surface wind in response to oceanic surface temperature gradients shows a weak forcing effect on oceanic currents. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T19:42:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bc75e64dafb64f03bd3d53983d056f4d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1942-2466 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T19:42:47Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-bc75e64dafb64f03bd3d53983d056f4d2022-12-21T20:55:23ZengAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU)Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems1942-24662020-02-01122n/an/a10.1029/2019MS001715Recipes for How to Force Oceanic Model DynamicsLionel Renault0S. Masson1T. Arsouze2Gurvan Madec3James C. McWilliams4LEGOS, University of Toulouse, IRD, CNRS, CNES, UPS Toulouse FranceSorbonne Universites (UPMC Univ Paris 06)‐CNRS‐IRD‐MNHN Paris FranceBarcelona Super Computing Center Barcelona SpainSorbonne Universites (UPMC Univ Paris 06)‐CNRS‐IRD‐MNHN Paris FranceDepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences University of California Los Angeles CA USAAbstract The current feedback to the atmosphere (CFB) contributes to the oceanic circulation by damping eddies. In an ocean‐atmosphere coupled model, CFB can be correctly accounted for by using the wind relative to the oceanic current. However, its implementation in a forced oceanic model is less straightforward as CFB also enhances the 10‐m wind. Wind products based on observations have seen real currents that will not necessarily correspond to model currents, whereas meteorological reanalyses often neglect surface currents or use surface currents that, again, will differ from the surface currents of the forced oceanic simulation. In this study, we use a set of quasi‐global oceanic simulations, coupled or not with the atmosphere, to (i) quantify the error associated with the different existing strategies of forcing an oceanic model, (ii) test different parameterizations of the CFB, and (iii) propose the best strategy to account for CFB in forced oceanic simulation. We show that scatterometer wind or stress are not suitable to properly represent the CFB in forced oceanic simulation. We furthermore demonstrate that a parameterization of CFB based on a wind‐predicted coupling coefficient between the surface current and the stress allows us to reproduce the main characteristics of a coupled simulation. Such a parameterization can be used with any forcing set, including future coupled reanalyses, assuming that the associated oceanic surface currents are known. A further assessment of the thermal feedback of the surface wind in response to oceanic surface temperature gradients shows a weak forcing effect on oceanic currents.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019MS001715Air‐Sea interactionCurrent FeedbackParameterizationForced Ocean ModelReanalysisScatterometers |
| spellingShingle | Lionel Renault S. Masson T. Arsouze Gurvan Madec James C. McWilliams Recipes for How to Force Oceanic Model Dynamics Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems Air‐Sea interaction Current Feedback Parameterization Forced Ocean Model Reanalysis Scatterometers |
| title | Recipes for How to Force Oceanic Model Dynamics |
| title_full | Recipes for How to Force Oceanic Model Dynamics |
| title_fullStr | Recipes for How to Force Oceanic Model Dynamics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recipes for How to Force Oceanic Model Dynamics |
| title_short | Recipes for How to Force Oceanic Model Dynamics |
| title_sort | recipes for how to force oceanic model dynamics |
| topic | Air‐Sea interaction Current Feedback Parameterization Forced Ocean Model Reanalysis Scatterometers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019MS001715 |
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