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1. Waves in SKRIPS: WAVEWATCH III coupling implementation and a case study of Tropical Cyclone Mekunu

   https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-3435-2023  

   Sun, Rui ; Cobb, Alison ; Villas Bôas, Ana B. ; Langodan, Sabique ; Subramanian, Aneesh C. ; Mazloff, Matthew R. ; Cornuelle, Bruce D. ; Miller, Arthur J. ; Pathak, Raju ; Hoteit, Ibrahim ( January 2023 , Geoscientific Model Development)

   Abstract. In this work, we integrated the WAVEWATCH III model into the regional coupled model SKRIPS (Scripps–KAUST Regional Integrated Prediction System). The WAVEWATCH III model is implemented with flexibility, meaning the coupled system can run with or without the wave component. In our implementations, we considered the effect of Stokes drift, Langmuir turbulence, sea surface roughness, and wave-induced momentum fluxes. To demonstrate the impact of coupling we performed a case study using a series of coupled and uncoupled simulations of Tropical Cyclone Mekunu, which occurred in the Arabian Sea in May 2018. We examined the model skill in these simulations and further investigated the impact of Langmuir turbulence in the coupled system. Because of the chaotic nature of the atmosphere, we ran an ensemble of 20 members for each coupled and uncoupled experiment. We found that the characteristics of the tropical cyclone are not significantly different due to the effect of surface waves when using different parameterizations, but the coupled models better capture the minimum pressure and maximum wind speed compared with the benchmark stand-alone Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Moreover, in the region of the cold wake, when Langmuir turbulence is considered in the coupled system, the sea surface temperature is about 0.5 ∘C colder, and the mixed layer is about 20 m deeper. This indicates the ocean model is sensitive to the parameterization of Langmuir turbulence in the coupled simulations. 

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2. Wind- and Wave-Driven Reynolds Stress and Velocity Shear in the Upper Ocean for Idealized Misaligned Wind-Wave Conditions

   https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0157.1  

   Wang, Dong ; Kukulka, Tobias ( February 2021 , Journal of Physical Oceanography)

   null (Ed.)

   Abstract This study investigates the dynamics of velocity shear and Reynolds stress in the ocean surface boundary layer for idealized misaligned wind and wave fields using a large-eddy simulation (LES) model based on the Craik–Leibovich equations, which captures Langmuir turbulence (LT). To focus on the role of LT, the LES experiments omit the Coriolis force, which obscures a stress–current-relation analysis. Furthermore, a vertically uniform body force is imposed so that the volume-averaged Eulerian flow does not accelerate but is steady. All simulations are first spun-up without wind-wave misalignment to reach a fully developed stationary turbulent state. Then, a crosswind Stokes drift profile is abruptly imposed, which drives crosswind stresses and associated crosswind currents without generating volume-averaged crosswind currents. The flow evolves to a new stationary state, in which the crosswind Reynolds stress vanishes while the crosswind Eulerian shear and Stokes drift shear are still present, yielding a misalignment between Reynolds stress and Lagrangian shear (sum of Eulerian current and Stokes drift). A Reynolds stress budgets analysis reveals a balance between stress production and velocity–pressure gradient terms (VPG) that encloses crosswind Eulerian shear, demonstrating a complex relation between shear and stress. In addition, the misalignment between Reynolds stress and Eulerian shear generates a horizontal turbulent momentum flux (due to correlations of along-wind and crosswind turbulent velocities) that can be important in producing Reynolds stress (due to correlations of horizontal and vertical turbulent velocities). Thus, details of the Reynolds stress production by Eulerian and Stokes drift shear may be critical for driving upper-ocean currents and for accurate turbulence parameterizations in misaligned wind-wave conditions. 

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3. Simulation and Scaling of the Turbulent Vertical Heat Transport and Deep-Cycle Turbulence across the Equatorial Pacific Cold Tongue

   https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-21-0153.1  

   Whitt, D. B. ; Cherian, D. A. ; Holmes, R. M. ; Bachman, S. D. ; Lien, R.-C. ; Large, W. G. ; Moum, J. N. ( May 2022 , Journal of Physical Oceanography)

   Abstract Microstructure observations in the Pacific cold tongue reveal that turbulence often penetrates into the thermocline, producing hundreds of watts per square meter of downward heat transport during nighttime and early morning. However, virtually all observations of this deep-cycle turbulence (DCT) are from 0°, 140°W. Here, a hierarchy of ocean process simulations, including submesoscale-permitting regional models and turbulence-permitting large-eddy simulations (LES) embedded in a regional model, provide insight into mixing and DCT at and beyond 0°, 140°W. A regional hindcast quantifies the spatiotemporal variability of subsurface turbulent heat fluxes throughout the cold tongue from 1999 to 2016. Mean subsurface turbulent fluxes are strongest (∼100 W m −2 ) within 2° of the equator, slightly (∼10 W m −2 ) stronger in the northern than Southern Hemisphere throughout the cold tongue, and correlated with surface heat fluxes ( r 2 = 0.7). The seasonal cycle of the subsurface heat flux, which does not covary with the surface heat flux, ranges from 150 W m −2 near the equator to 30 and 10 W m −2 at 4°N and 4°S, respectively. Aseasonal variability of the subsurface heat flux is logarithmically distributed, covaries spatially with the time-mean flux, and is highlighted in 34-day LES of boreal autumn at 0° and 3°N, 140°W. Intense DCT occurs frequently above the undercurrent at 0° and intermittently at 3°N. Daily mean heat fluxes scale with the bulk vertical shear and the wind stress, which together explain ∼90% of the daily variance across both LES. Observational validation of the scaling at 0°, 140°W is encouraging, but observations beyond 0°, 140°W are needed to facilitate refinement of mixing parameterization in ocean models. Significance Statement This work is a fundamental contribution to a broad community effort to improve global long-range weather and climate forecast models used for seasonal to longer-term prediction. Much of the predictability on seasonal time scales is derived from the slow evolution of the upper eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean as it varies between El Niño and La Niña conditions. This study presents state-of-the-art high-resolution regional numerical simulations of ocean turbulence and mixing in the eastern equatorial Pacific. The results inform future planning for field work as well as future efforts to refine the representation of ocean mixing in global forecast models. 

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4. Langmuir Circulations Transfer Kinetic Energy from Submesoscales and Larger Scales to Dissipative Scales

   https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-22-0126.1  

   Hypolite, Delphine ; Romero, Leonel ; McWilliams, James C. ; Dauhajre, Daniel P. ( January 2023 , Journal of Physical Oceanography)

   Surface gravity wave effects on currents (WEC) cause the emergence of Langmuir cells (LCs) in a suite of high horizontal resolution (Δx= 30 m), realistic oceanic simulations in the open ocean of central California. During large wave events, LCs develop widely but inhomogeneously, with larger vertical velocities in a deeper mixed layer. They interact with extant submesoscale currents. A 550-m horizontal spatial filter separates the signals of LCs and of submesoscale and larger-scale currents. The LCs have a strong velocity variance with small density gradient variance, while submesoscale currents are large in both. Using coarse graining, we show that WEC induces a forward cascade of kinetic energy in the upper ocean up to at least a 5-km scale. This is due to strong positive vertical Reynolds stress (in both the Eulerian and the Stokes drift energy production terms) at all resolved scales in the WEC solutions, associated with large vertical velocities. The spatial filter elucidates the role of LCs in generating the shear production on the vertical scale of Stokes drift (10 m), while submesoscale currents affect both the horizontal and vertical energy fluxes throughout the mixed layer (50–80 m). There is a slightly weaker forward cascade associated with nonhydrostatic LCs (by 13% in average) than in the hydrostatic case, but overall the simulation differences are small. A vertical mixing schemeK-profile parameterization (KPP) partially augmented by Langmuir turbulence yields wider LCs, which can lead to lower surface velocity gradients compared to solutions using the standard KPP scheme.

    

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5. Data from: The role of Southeast Asian island topography on Indo-Pacific climate and silicate weathering

   https://doi.org/10.6078/D1271P  

   Chiang, John ; Maffre, Pierre ( January 2023 , Dryad)

   The modern configuration of the South East Asian Islands (SEAI) evolved over the last fifteen million years, as a result of subduction, arc magmatism, and arc-continent collisions, contributing to both increased land area and high topography.  The presence of the additional land area has been postulated to enhance convective rainfall, facilitating both increased silicate weathering and the development of the modern-day Walker circulation.  Using an Earth System Model in conjunction with a climate-silicate weathering model, we argue instead for a significant role of SEAI topography for both effects.  This dataset archives model output used in this investigation, including simulations using the Community Earth System Model version 1.2, and the climate-silicate weathering model GEOCLIM. All data are in Netcdf format, and were generated either by the Community Earth System Model 1.2 (Hurrell et al. 2013) or the climate-silicate weathering model GEOCLIM (Park et al. 2020).  Model output is organized into 4 tar files: 1) B1850C5.tar Contains model output for the fully coupled CESM1.2 runs, for 2D fields and for 3D pressure vertical velocity (W) between 10S-10N.  Monthly mean data for years 41-110 of the simulations.   Naming convention is No SEAI topography: B1850C5_noSEAItopo_y41-110.nc and B1850C5_noSEAItopo_W_y41-110.nc 50% SEAI topography: B1850C5_0.5SEAItopo_y41-110.nc and B1850C5_0.5SEAItopo_W_y41-110.nc 100% SEAI topography: B1850C5_y41-110.nc and B1850C5_W_y41-110.nc 150% SEAO topogaphy: B1850C5_1.5SEAItopo_y41-110.nc and B1850C5_1.5SEAItopo_W_y41-110.nc 2) E1850C5.tar Contains model output for the slab ocean CESM1.2 runs, for 2D fields and for 3D pressure vertical velocity (W) between 10S-10N.  Monthly mean data for years 21-50 of the simulations.  Naming convention is No SEAI topography: E1850C5_noSEAItopo_y21-50.nc and E1850C5_noSEAItopo_W_y21-50.nc 50% SEAI topography: E1850C5_0.5SEAItopo_y21-50.nc and E1850C5_0.5SEAItopo_W_y21-50.nc 100% SEAI topography: E1850C5_y21-50.nc and E1850C5_W_y21-50.nc 150% SEAO topogaphy:  E1850C5_1.5SEAItopo_y21-50.nc and E1850C5_1.5SEAItopo_W_y21-50.nc 3) GEOCLIM.tar Contains model output from the climate-silicate weathering model GEOCLIM.  Data is provided for all 573 parameter combinations.  All values are climatological annual means. All files contain these variables: GMST: global mean surface temperature (in K) atm_CO2_level: atmospheric pCO2 (in ppm) degassing: globally-integrated CO2 flux (in mol/yr) The files ending with 1xCO2.nc also contain these spatial fields: lithology fraction: fraction of land covered by a lithology class erosion: Regolith erosion rate (m/yr) weathering: Ca-Mg weathering rate (mol/m^2/yr) E1850C5_1xCO2.nc - GEOCLIM output using the Modern SEAI simulation as input, and for CO2 fixed to 286.7ppm.  E1850C5_noSEAI_1xCO2.nc - GEOCLIM output using the no SEAI simulation as input, and for CO2 fixed to 286.7ppm.  E1850C5_noSEAItopo_1xCO2.nc - GEOCLIM output using the flat SEAI simulation as input, and for CO2 fixed to 286.7ppm.  E1850C5_noSEAI_equil.nc - GEOCLIM output using the no SEAI simulation as input, and CO2 adjusted so that system is in carbon flux equilibrium.   E1850C5_noSEAItopo_flatSEAIslope_equil.nc - GEOCLIM output using the flat SEAI simulation as input, and CO2 adjusted so that system is in carbon flux equilibrium.   4) Surface.tar Contains land fraction and surface geopotential fields for the modern SEAI (Landfrac.nc) and no SEAI (Landfrac_noSEAI.nc) simulations References Hurrell, J.W., Holland, M.M., Gent, P.R., Ghan, S., Kay, J.E., Kushner, P.J., Lamarque, J.F., Large, W.G., Lawrence, D., Lindsay, K. and Lipscomb, W.H., 2013. The community earth system model: a framework for collaborative research. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 94(9), pp.1339-1360. Park, Y., Maffre, P., Goddéris, Y., Macdonald, F.A., Anttila, E.S. and Swanson-Hysell, N.L., 2020. Emergence of the Southeast Asian islands as a driver for Neogene cooling. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(41), pp.25319-25326. 

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