Importance of the Vertical Resolution in Simulating SST Diurnal and Intraseasonal Variability in an Oceanic General Circulation Model

In this paper, the influence of high vertical resolution near the surface in an oceanic general circulation model in simulating the observed sea surface temperature (SST) variability is investigated. In situ observations of vertical temperature profiles are first used to quantify temperature variability with depth near the ocean surface. The analysis shows that there is a sharp vertical temperature gradient within the top 10 m of the ocean. Both diurnal and intraseasonal variabilities of the ocean temperatures are largest near the surface and decrease with the ocean depth. Numerical experiments with an oceanic general circulation model are next carried out with 1- and 10-m vertical resolutions for the upper ocean to study the dependence of the simulated SST and vertical temperature structure on the vertical resolution. It is found that the simulated diurnal and intraseasonal variabilities, as well as the associated vertical temperature gradient near the surface, are strongly influenced by the oceanic vertical resolution, with the 1-m vertical resolution producing a stronger vertical temperature gradient and temporal variability than the 10-m vertical resolution. These results suggest that a realistic representation of SST variability with a high vertical resolution in the upper ocean is required for a coupled atmosphere–ocean model to correctly simulate the observed tropical intraseasonal oscillations, including the Madden–Julian oscillation and the boreal summer monsoon intraseasonal oscillation, which are strongly linked with the underlying SST.

Variations of oceanic oxygen isotopes at the present day and the LGM: equilibrium simulations with an oceanic general circulation model

The isotope-enabled oceanic general circulation model, MPI-OM, is used to simulate the oxygen isotope compositions of sea waters in the oceans under preindustrial and last glacial maximum climate conditions. Simulated oceanic isotope distributions at the last glacial maximum (21 000 yr ago) show features similar to the preindustrial in most basins but the Northern North Atlantic. With the exception of the ice sheet impact, the oxygen-18 content variations at sea surface during the last glacial maximum are mainly controlled by the changes in boundary isotopic fluxes in most regions, while the changes from subsurface to bottom waters are mostly due to the differences in the water mass circulations. The changes in topography at the northern high latitudes have a remarkable influence on the isotopic composition in the Arctic Ocean. The pre-industrial and the last glacial maximum calcite oxygen isotope compositions in the surface water and their difference are also calculated. These results are compared with the observed values from different foraminifera species and are in agreement with the observations in most regions.

On the calculation of an attenuation coefficient for transects of ice-covered ocean

Exponential attenuation of ocean surface waves in ice-covered regions of the polar seas is modelled in a two-dimensional, linear setting, assuming that the sea ice behaves as a thin-elastic plate. Attenuation is produced by natural features in the ice cover, with three types considered: floes, cracks and pressure ridges. An inelastic damping parameterization is also incorporated. Efficient methods for obtaining an attenuation coefficient for each class of feature, involving an investigation of wave interaction theory and averaging methods, are sought. It is found that (i) the attenuation produced by long floes can be obtained from the scattering properties of a single ice edge; and (ii) wave interaction theory in ice-covered regions requires evanescent and damped-propagating motions to be included when scattering sources are relatively nearby. Implications for the integration of this model into an oceanic general circulation model are also discussed.

Past, present and impendent hydroelastic challenges in the polar and subpolar seas

Current and emergent advances are examined on the topic of hydroelasticity theory applied to natural sea ice responding to the action of ocean surface waves and swell, with attention focused on methods that portray sea ice more faithfully as opposed to those that oversimplify interactions with a poor imitation of reality. A succession of authors have confronted and solved by various means the demanding applied mathematics associated with ocean waves (i) entering a vast sea-ice plate, (ii) travelling between plates of different thickness, (iii) impinging on a pressure ridge, (iv) affecting a single ice floe with arbitrarily specified physical and material properties, and (v) many such features or mixtures thereof. The next step is to embed simplified versions of these developments in an oceanic general circulation model for forecasting purposes. While targeted on specific sea-ice situations, many of the reported results are equally applicable to the interaction of waves with very large floating structures, such as pontoons, floating airports and mobile offshore bases.

Tracer distribution in the Pacific Ocean following a release off Japan – what does an oceanic general circulation model tell us?

In the aftermath of an earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011 considerable amounts of radioactive materials were accidentally released into the sea off Fukushima-Daiichi, Japan. This study uses a three-dimensional eddy-resolving oceanic general circulation model to explore potential pathways of a tracer, similar to 137Cs, from the coast to the open ocean. Results indicate that enhanced concentrations meet a receding spring bloom offshore and that the area of enhanced concentrations offshore is strongly determined by surface mixed layer dynamics. However, huge uncertainties remain. Among them are the realism of the simulated cross-shelf transport and apparently inconsistent estimates of the particle reactivity of 137Cs which are discussed in a brief literature review. We argue that a comprehensive set of 137Cs measurements, including sites offshore, could be a unique opportunity to both evaluate and advance the evaluation of oceanic general circulation models.