scholarly journals Coupling of Trade Winds with Ocean Circulation Damps ITCZ Shifts

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 4395-4411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Green ◽  
John Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Surface Energy ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Energy Transport ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ocean General Circulation Model ◽  
Trade Wind ◽  
Energy Fluxes ◽  
Trade Winds ◽  
Surface Energy Fluxes

The position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is sensitive to the atmosphere’s hemispheric energy balance, lying in the hemisphere most strongly heated by radiative and turbulent surface energy fluxes. This study examines how the ocean circulation, through its cross-equatorial energy transport and associated surface energy fluxes, affects the ITCZ’s response to an imposed interhemispheric heating contrast in a coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model. Shifts of the ITCZ are strongly damped owing to a robust coupling between the atmosphere’s Hadley cells and the ocean’s subtropical cells by the trade winds and their associated surface stresses. An anomalous oceanic wind-driven cross-equatorial cell transports energy across the equator, strongly offsetting the imposed heating contrast. The circulation of this cell can be described by the combination of trade wind anomalies and the meridional gradient of sea surface temperature, which sets the temperature contrast between its upper and lower branches. The ability of the wind-driven ocean circulation to damp ITCZ shifts represents a previously unappreciated constraint on the atmosphere’s energy budget and indicates that the position of the ITCZ may be much less sensitive to interhemispheric heating contrasts than previously thought. Climatic implications of this damping are discussed.

Modelling the ocean circulation beneath the Ross Ice Shelf

2003 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID M. HOLLAND ◽  
STANLEY S. JACOBS ◽  
ADRIAN JENKINS
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Ross Sea ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ocean General Circulation Model ◽  
Shelf Water ◽  
Ice Shelf ◽  
Ross Ice Shelf ◽  
The North ◽  
Ice Shelf Water

We applied a modified version of the Miami isopycnic coordinate ocean general circulation model (MICOM) to the ocean cavity beneath the Ross Ice Shelf to investigate the circulation of ocean waters in the sub-ice shelf cavity, along with the melting and freezing regimes at the base of the ice shelf. Model passive tracers are utilized to highlight the pathways of waters entering and exiting the cavity, and output is compared with data taken in the cavity and along the ice shelf front. High Salinity Shelf Water on the western Ross Sea continental shelf flows into the cavity along the sea floor and is transformed into Ice Shelf Water upon contact with the ice shelf base. Ice Shelf Water flows out of the cavity mainly around 180°, but also further east and on the western side of McMurdo Sound, as observed. Active ventilation of the region near the ice shelf front is forced by seasonal variations in the density structure of the water column to the north, driving rapid melting. Circulation in the more isolated interior is weaker, leading to melting at deeper ice and refreezing beneath shallower ice. Net melting over the whole ice shelf base is lower than other estimates, but is likely to increase as additional forcings are added to the model.

Mechanisms of Forced Tropical Meridional Energy Flux Change

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 1725-1742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer A. Hill ◽  
Yi Ming ◽  
Isaac M. Held
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Pattern ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Energy Flux ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Energy Transport ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Hadley Cell ◽  
Energy Fluxes ◽  
Hadley Cells ◽  
Sst Anomalies

Abstract Anthropogenically forced changes to the mean and spatial pattern of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) alter tropical atmospheric meridional energy transport throughout the seasonal cycle—in total, its partitioning between the Hadley cells and eddies and, for the Hadley cells, the relative roles of the mass flux and the gross moist stability (GMS). The authors investigate this behavior using an atmospheric general circulation model forced with SST anomalies caused by either historical greenhouse gas or aerosol forcing, dividing the SST anomalies into two components: the tropical mean SST anomaly applied uniformly and the full SST anomalies minus the tropical mean. For greenhouse gases, the polar-amplified SST spatial pattern partially negates enhanced eddy poleward energy transport driven by mean warming. Both SST components weaken winter Hadley cell circulation and alter GMS. The Northern Hemisphere–focused aerosol cooling induces northward energy flux anomalies in the deep tropics, which manifest partially via strengthened northern and weakened southern Hadley cell overturning. Aerosol-induced GMS changes also contribute to the northward energy fluxes. A simple thermodynamic scaling qualitatively captures these changes, although it performs less well for the greenhouse gas simulations. The scaling provides an explanation for the tight correlation demonstrated in previous studies between shifts in the intertropical convergence zone and cross-equatorial energy fluxes.

scholarly journals The Role of Rough Topography in Mediating Impacts of Bottom Drag in Eddying Ocean Circulation Models

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 1941-1959 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Trossman ◽  
Brian K. Arbic ◽  
David N. Straub ◽  
James G. Richman ◽  
Eric P. Chassignet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Turbulence Models ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ocean General Circulation Model ◽  
Wave Drag ◽  
Flat Bottom ◽  
Length Scales ◽  
Barotropic Flow ◽  
Horizontal Length

AbstractMotivated by the substantial sensitivity of eddies in two-layer quasigeostrophic (QG) turbulence models to the strength of bottom drag, this study explores the sensitivity of eddies in more realistic ocean general circulation model (OGCM) simulations to bottom drag strength. The OGCM results are interpreted using previous results from horizontally homogeneous, two-layer, flat-bottom, f-plane, doubly periodic QG turbulence simulations and new results from two-layer, β-plane QG turbulence simulations run in a basin geometry with both flat and rough bottoms. Baroclinicity in all of the simulations varies greatly with drag strength, with weak drag corresponding to more barotropic flow and strong drag corresponding to more baroclinic flow. The sensitivity of the baroclinicity in the QG basin simulations to bottom drag is considerably reduced, however, when rough topography is used in lieu of a flat bottom. Rough topography reduces the sensitivity of the eddy kinetic energy amplitude and horizontal length scales in the QG basin simulations to bottom drag to an even greater degree. The OGCM simulation behavior is qualitatively similar to that in the QG rough-bottom basin simulations, in that baroclinicity is more sensitive to bottom drag strength than are eddy amplitudes or horizontal length scales. Rough topography therefore appears to mediate the sensitivity of eddies in models to the strength of bottom drag. The sensitivity of eddies to parameterized topographic internal lee wave drag, which has recently been introduced into some OGCMs, is also briefly discussed. Wave drag acts like a strong bottom drag in that it increases the baroclinicity of the flow, without strongly affecting eddy horizontal length scales.

scholarly journals Ocean carbon cycling during the past 130,000 years – a pilot study on inverse paleoclimate record modelling

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Heinze ◽  
Babette Hoogakker ◽  
Arne Winguth
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Sediment Core ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
General Pattern ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ocean General Circulation Model ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Modelling Studies ◽  
The Last Glacial

Abstract. What role did changes in marine carbon cycle processes and calcareous organisms play for glacial-interglacial variation in atmospheric pCO2? In order to answer this question, we explore results from an ocean biogeochemical ocean general circulation model. We make an attempt to systematically reconcile model results with time dependent sediment core data from the observations. For this purpose, simulated sensitivities of oceanic tracer concentrations to changes in governing carbon cycle parameters are fitted to measured sediment core data.We assume that the time variation of the governing carbon cycle parameters follows the general pattern of the glacial-interglacial deuterium anomaly. Our analysis provides an independent estimate of a maximum mean sea surface temperature drawdown of about 5 °C and a maximum outgassing of the land biosphere by about 430 PgC at the last glacial maximum as compared to preindustrial times. The overall fit of modelled paleoclimate tracers to observations, however, remains quite weak indicating the potential of more detailed modelling studies for full exploitation of the information as stored in the paleo-climatic archive. It can be confirmed, however, that a decline in ocean temperature and a more efficient biological carbon pump in combination with changes in ocean circulation are the key factors for explaining the glacial CO2 drawdown. The analysis suggests that potential changes in the export rain ratio POC:CaCO3 may not have a substantial imprint on the paleo-climatic archive. The use of the last glacial as an inverted analogue to potential ocean acidification impacts thus may be quite limited. A potential strong decrease in CaCO3 export production could contribute to the glacial CO2 decline in the atmosphere but remains hypothetical.

scholarly journals An ocean modelling and assimilation guide to using GOCE geoid products

Ocean Science ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Haines ◽  
J. A. Johannessen ◽  
P. Knudsen ◽  
D. Lea ◽  
M.-H. Rio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ocean General Circulation Model ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Dynamic Topography ◽  
Satellite Altimeter ◽  
Level Information

Abstract. We review the procedures and challenges that must be considered when using geoid data derived from the Gravity and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mission in order to constrain the circulation and water mass representation in an ocean general circulation model. It covers the combination of the geoid information with time-mean sea level information derived from satellite altimeter data, to construct a mean dynamic topography (MDT), and considers how this complements the time-varying sea level anomaly, also available from the satellite altimeter. We particularly consider the compatibility of these different fields in their spatial scale content, their temporal representation, and in their error covariances. These considerations are very important when the resulting data are to be used to estimate ocean circulation and its corresponding errors. We describe the further steps needed for assimilating the resulting dynamic topography information into an ocean circulation model using three different operational forecasting and data assimilation systems. We look at methods used for assimilating altimeter anomaly data in the absence of a suitable geoid, and then discuss different approaches which have been tried for assimilating the additional geoid information. We review the problems that have been encountered and the lessons learned in order the help future users. Finally we present some results from the use of GRACE geoid information in the operational oceanography community and discuss the future potential gains that may be obtained from a new GOCE geoid.

scholarly journals Ocean-sea-ice coupling in a global ocean general circulation model

1997 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 116-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Legutke ◽  
E. Maier-Reimkr ◽  
A. Stössel ◽  
A. Hellbach
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
General Circulation Model ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ice Cover ◽  
Ocean General Circulation Model ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Ocean General Circulation ◽  
The Impact

A global ocean general circulation model has been coupled with a dynamic thermodynamic sea-ice model. This model has been spun-up in a 1000 year integration using daily atmosphere model data. Main water masses and currents are reproduced as well as the seasonal characteristics of the ice cover of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Model results for the Southern Ocean, however, show the ice cover as too thin, and there are large permanent polynyas in the Weddell and Ross Seas. These polynyas are due to a large upward oceanic heat flux caused by haline rejection during the freezing of sea ice. Sensitivity studies were performed to test several ways of treating the sea-surface salinity and the rejected brine. The impact on the ice cover, water-mass characteristics, and ocean circulation are described.

Recent Changes in the Pacific Subtropical Cells Inferred from an Eddy-Resolving Ocean Circulation Model*

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 1340-1356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Cheng ◽  
Michael J. McPhaden ◽  
Dongxiao Zhang ◽  
E. Joseph Metzger
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Control Volume ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ocean General Circulation Model ◽  
Volume Transport ◽  
Western Boundary ◽  
Equatorial Undercurrent ◽  
Model Driven ◽  
The Pacific

Abstract In this study the subtropical cells (STC) in the Pacific Ocean are analyzed using an eddy-resolving ocean general circulation model driven by atmospheric forcing for the years 1992–2003. In particular, the authors seek to identify decadal changes in the STCs in the model and to compare them with observations in order to understand the consequences of such changes for the equatorial ocean heat and mass budgets. The simulation shows a trend toward increasing pycnocline volume transport at 9°N and 9°S across the basin from 1992 to 2003. This increase [4.9 ± 1.0 Sv (Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1)] is in qualitative agreement with observations and is attributed primarily to changes in the interior ocean transport, which are partially compensated by opposing western boundary transports. The subtropical meridional volume transport convergence anomalies in the model pycnocline are found to be consistent with anomalous volume transports in both the observed and modeled Equatorial Undercurrent, as well as with the magnitude of simulated anomalous upwelling transport at the base of the mixed layer in the eastern Pacific. As a result of the increased circulation intensity, heat transport divergence through the lateral boundaries of the tropical control volume (defined as the region between 9°N and 9°S, and from the surface to σθ = 25.3 isopycnal) increases, leading to a cooling of the tropical upper ocean despite the fact that net surface heat flux into the control volume has increased in the same time. As such, these results suggest that wind-driven changes in ocean transports associated with the subtropical cells play a central role in regulating tropical Pacific climate variability on decadal time scales.

scholarly journals The Response of Ice Shelf Basal Melting to Variations in Ocean Temperature

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 2558-2572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul R. Holland ◽  
Adrian Jenkins ◽  
David M. Holland
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ocean General Circulation Model ◽  
Flow Speed ◽  
Ocean Warming ◽  
Ocean Temperature ◽  
Ice Shelf ◽  
Ice Shelves

Abstract A three-dimensional ocean general circulation model is used to study the response of idealized ice shelves to a series of ocean-warming scenarios. The model predicts that the total ice shelf basal melt increases quadratically as the ocean offshore of the ice front warms. This occurs because the melt rate is proportional to the product of ocean flow speed and temperature in the mixed layer directly beneath the ice shelf, both of which are found to increase linearly with ocean warming. The behavior of this complex primitive equation model can be described surprisingly well with recourse to an idealized reduced system of equations, and it is shown that this system supports a melt rate response to warming that is generally quadratic in nature. This study confirms and unifies several previous examinations of the relation between melt rate and ocean temperature but disagrees with other results, particularly the claim that a single melt rate sensitivity to warming is universally valid. The hypothesized warming does not necessarily require a heat input to the ocean, as warmer waters (or larger volumes of “warm” water) may reach ice shelves purely through a shift in ocean circulation. Since ice shelves link the Antarctic Ice Sheet to the climate of the Southern Ocean, this finding of an above-linear rise in ice shelf mass loss as the ocean steadily warms is of significant importance to understanding ice sheet evolution and sea level rise.

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