Mesoscale eddy statistics and implications for parameterization refinements from a diagnosis of a high resolution model of the North Pacific

2010 ◽  
Vol 33 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 205-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Tsujino ◽  
Shiro Nishikawa ◽  
Kei Sakamoto ◽  
Hideyuki Nakano ◽  
Hiroshi Ishizaki
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 1159-1181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Danek ◽  
Patrick Scholz ◽  
Gerrit Lohmann

AbstractThe influence of a high horizontal resolution (5–15 km) on the general circulation and hydrography in the North Atlantic is investigated using the Finite Element Sea Ice–Ocean Model (FESOM). We find a stronger shift of the upper-ocean circulation and water mass properties during the model spinup in the high-resolution model version compared to the low-resolution (~1°) control run. In quasi equilibrium, the high-resolution model is able to reduce typical low-resolution model biases. Especially, it exhibits a weaker salinification of the North Atlantic subpolar gyre and a reduced mixed layer depth in the Labrador Sea. However, during the spinup adjustment, we see that initially improved high-resolution features partially reduce over time: the strength of the Atlantic overturning and the path of the North Atlantic Current are not maintained, and hence hydrographic biases known from low-resolution ocean models return in the high-resolution quasi-equilibrium state. We identify long baroclinic Rossby waves as a potential cause for the strong upper-ocean adjustment of the high-resolution model and conclude that a high horizontal resolution improves the state of the modeled ocean but the model integration length should be chosen carefully.


2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 666-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eitarou Oka ◽  
Toshio Suga ◽  
Chiho Sukigara ◽  
Katsuya Toyama ◽  
Keishi Shimada ◽  
...  

Abstract Hydrographic data obtained by high-resolution shipboard observations and Argo profiling floats have been analyzed to study the mesoscale structure and circulation of the North Pacific Subtropical Mode Water (STMW). The float data show that in the late winter of 2008, STMW having a temperature of approximately 18.8°, 17.7°, and 16.6°C formed west of 140°E, at 140°–150°E, and east of 150°E, respectively, in the recirculation gyre south of the Kuroshio Extension. After spring, the newly formed STMW gradually shift southward, decreasing in thickness. Simultaneously, the STMWs of 16.6° and 17.7°C are gradually stirred and then mixed in terms of properties. In late fall, they seem to be integrated to form a single group of STMWs having a temperature centered at 17.2°C. Such STMW circulation in 2008 is much more turbulent than that in 2006, which was investigated in a previous study. The difference between the two years is attributed to the more variable state of the Kuroshio Extension in 2008, associated with stronger eddy activities in the STMW formation region, which enhance the eddy transport of STMW. High-resolution shipboard observations were carried out southeast of Japan at 141°–147°E in the early fall of 2008. To the south of the Kuroshio Extension, STMW exists as a sequence of patches with a horizontal scale of 100–200 km, whose thick portions correspond well to the mesoscale deepening of the permanent pycnocline. The western (eastern) hydrographic sections are occupied mostly by the 17.7°C (16.6°C) STMW, within which the 16.6°C (17.7°C) STMW exists locally, mostly at locations where both the permanent pycnocline depth and the STMW thickness are maximum. This structure implies that the STMW patches are transported away from their respective formation sites, corresponding to a shift in the mesoscale anticyclonic circulations south of the Kuroshio Extension. Furthermore, 20%–30% of the observed STMW pycnostads have two or three potential vorticity minima, mostly near temperatures of 16.6° and 17.7°C. The authors presume that such a structure formed as a result of the interleaving of the 16.6° and 17.7°C STMWs after they are stirred by mesoscale circulations, following which they are vertically mixed to form the 17.2°C STMW observed in late fall. These results indicate the importance of horizontal processes in destroying the vertically uniform structure of STMW after spring, particularly when the Kuroshio Extension is in a variable state.


2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 1233-1241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideharu Sasaki ◽  
Patrice Klein

Abstract Following recent studies based on altimetric data, this paper analyses the spectral characteristics of the sea surface height (SSH) using a new realistic simulation of the North Pacific Ocean with high resolution ( in the horizontal and 100 vertical levels). This simulation resolves smaller scales (down to ≈10 km) than altimetric data (limited to 70 km because of the noise level). In high eddy kinetic energy (EKE) regions (as in the western part), SSH spectral slope almost follows a k−4 (with k the wavenumber) or slightly steeper law in agreement with altimeter studies. The new result is that, unlike altimeter studies, such a k−4 slope is also observed in low EKE regions (as in the eastern part). In these regions, this slope mostly concerns scales not well resolved by altimetric data. Such k−4 SSH spectral slopes are weaker from what is expected from quasigeostrophic turbulence theory but closer to surface quasigeostrophic (SQG) turbulence theory. The consequence is that the small scales concerned by these spectral slopes, in particular in low EKE regions, may significantly affect the larger ones because of the inverse kinetic energy cascade. These results need to be confirmed using a longer numerical integration. They also need to be corroborated by high-resolution observations.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Wehner ◽  
G. Bala ◽  
Phillip Duffy ◽  
Arthur A. Mirin ◽  
Raquel Romano

We present a set of high-resolution global atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) simulations focusing on the model's ability to represent tropical storms and their statistics. We find that the model produces storms of hurricane strength with realistic dynamical features. We also find that tropical storm statistics are reasonable, both globally and in the north Atlantic, when compared to recent observations. The sensitivity of simulated tropical storm statistics to increases in sea surface temperature (SST) is also investigated, revealing that a credible late 21st century SST increase produced increases in simulated tropical storm numbers and intensities in all ocean basins. While this paper supports previous high-resolution model and theoretical findings that the frequency of very intense storms will increase in a warmer climate, it differs notably from previous medium and high-resolution model studies that show a global reduction in total tropical storm frequency. However, we are quick to point out that this particular model finding remains speculative due to a lack of radiative forcing changes in our time-slice experiments as well as a focus on the Northern hemisphere tropical storm seasons.


2013 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuya Hayakawa ◽  
Hiromichi Hirano

Abstract Hayakawa, T., Hirano, H. 2013. A revised inoceramid biozonation for the Upper Cretaceous based on high-resolution carbon isotope stratigraphy in northwestern Hokkaido, Japan. Acta Geologica Polonica, 63 (2), 239-263. Warszawa. Biostratigraphic correlations of inoceramid bivalves between the North Pacific and Euramerican provinces have been difficult because the inoceramid biostratigraphy of the Japanese strata has been based on endemic species of the northwest Pacific. In this study, carbon stable isotope fluctuations of terrestrial organic matter are assembled for the Upper Cretaceous Yezo Group in the Haboro and Obira areas, Hokkaido, Japan, in order to revise the chronology of the inoceramid biozonation in Japan. The carbon isotope curves are correlated with those of marine carbonates in English and German sections with the aid of age-diagnostic taxa. According to the correlations of the carbon isotope curves, 11 isotope events are recognised in the sections studied. As a result of these correlations, the chronology of the inoceramid biozones of the Northwest Pacific has been considerably revised. The revised inoceramid biozones suggest that the timing of the origination and extinction of the inoceramids in the North Pacific biotic province is different from the stage/substage boundaries defined by inoceramids, as used in Europe and North America.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Ye ◽  
Jie Li ◽  
Xueshun Chen ◽  
Huansheng Chen ◽  
Wenyi Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract. Many efforts have been devoted to quantifying the impact of intercontinental transport on global air quality by using global chemical transport models with horizontal resolutions of hundreds of kilometers in recent decades. In this study, a global online air quality source-receptor model (GNAQPMS-SM) is designed to effectively compute the contributions of various regions to ambient pollutant concentrations. The newly developed model is able to quantify source-receptor (S-R) relationships in one simulation without introducing errors by nonlinear chemistry, which largely reduces the computation costs compared to the brute force method. We calculate the surface and planetary boundary layer (PBL) S-R relationships in 19 regions over the whole globe for ozone, black carbon (BC) and non-sea-salt sulphate (nss-sulphate) by conducting a high-resolution (0.5° × 0.5°) simulation for the year 2018. The model exhibits a realistic capacity in reproducing the spatial distributions and seasonal variations of tropospheric ozone, carbon monoxide, and aerosols at global and regional scales (Europe, North America and East Asia). The correlation coefficient (R) and normalized mean bias (NMB) for seasonal ozone at global background and urban-rural sites ranged from 0.49 to 0.87 and −2 % to 14.97 %, respectively. For aerosols, the R and NMB in Europe, North America and East Asia mostly exceed 0.6 and are within ±15 %. These statistical parameters based on this global simulation can match those of regional models in key regions. The simulated tropospheric nitrogen dioxide and aerosol optical depths are generally in agreement with satellite observations. The model overestimates ozone mixing ratios in the upper troposphere and stratosphere in the tropics, mid-latitude and polar regions of the Southern Hemisphere due to the use of a simplified stratospheric ozone scheme and/or biases in estimated stratosphere-troposphere exchange dynamics. We find that O3 in the surface layer can travel a long distance and contributes a nonnegligible fraction to downwind regions. Nonlocal source transport explains approximately 35–60 % of surface O3 in East Asia, South Asia, Europe and North America. The O3 exported from Europe can also be transported across the Arctic Ocean to the North Pacific and contributes nearly 5–7.5 % to the North Pacific. BC, as a primary aerosol, is directly linked to local emissions, and each BC source region mainly contributes to itself and surrounding regions. For nss-sulphate, contributions of long-range transport account for 15–30 % within the PBL in East Asia, South Asia, Europe and North America. Our estimated international transport is lower than that from the Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution (HTAP) assessment report in 2010. In this study, local contributions to surface nss-sulphate and BC exceed the ranges given in the HTAP model, while local contributions to nss-sulphate and BC within the PBL are mainly within the ranges. This difference may be related to the different simulation years, emission inventories, horizontal resolutions and S-R revealing methods. The S-R relationship of aerosols within the East Asia subcontinent is also assessed. The model that we developed creates a link between the scientific community and policymakers. Finally, the results are discussed in the context of future model development and analysis opportunities.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Handmann ◽  
Martin Visbeck ◽  
Arne Biastoch

<p>Water mass formation in the Subpolar North Atlantic and successive southward export, connects high latitudes with lower latitudes, as a part of the lower Atlantic meridional overturning (AMOC) limb. The role of regional importance, in particular the respective roles of the Labrador and Irminger Sea, in this process are in debate. </p><p>This study analyses pathways connecting the Labrador and Irminger Sea in detail, using simulated Lagrangian particle trajectories. To give further insight on interconnectivity and flow patterns we used two setups with different velocity fields, a high-resolution ocean model (VIKING20X) and a gridded Argo float displacement climatology. Both setups indicate two distinct pathways with interconnectivity on the order of 20% of the total amount of seeded particles between the Labrador Sea and Irminger Sea. One pathway is following the recirculation in the Labrador Sea along the Greenland shelf break; the other is along the Newfoundland shelf break turning to the north/northwest at the Orphan-Knoll region towards the central Irminger Sea. For the Argo based advective-diffusive particle trajectory integration a 2.5–3.5 year travel time scale was derived between the Labrador and the Irminger Sea, while the experiments with the temporarily varying high-resolution model output revealed significantly shorter spreading times of about 1.5–2 years. While both pathways are represented in either setup, the pathway following the Newfoundland shelf break is populated stronger in the model-based experiments. In general we found that connectivity between the two regions is weaker in the experiments based on the climatological mean velocity output of the model than in those based on the Argo derived fields, first results indicate that this is due to stronger boundary currents and a weaker recirculation in the Labrador Sea.</p>


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