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Processes setting the characteristics of sea surface cooling induced by tropical cyclones

Processes setting the characteristics of sea surface cooling induced by tropical cyclones
Processes setting the characteristics of sea surface cooling induced by tropical cyclones
A 1/2° resolution global ocean general circulation model is used to investigate the processes controlling sea surface cooling in the wake of tropical cyclones (TCs). Wind forcing related to more than 3000 TCs occurring during the 1978–2007 period is blended with the CORE II interannual forcing, using an idealized TC wind pattern with observed magnitude and track. The amplitude and spatial characteristics of the TC-induced cooling are consistent with satellite observations, with an average cooling of ?1°C that typically extends over 5 radii of maximum wind. A Wind power index (WPi) is used to discriminate cooling processes under TCs with high-energy transfer to the upper ocean (strong and/or slow cyclones) from the others (weak and/or fast cyclones). Surface heat fluxes contribute to ?50 to 80% of the cooling for weak WPi as well as away from the cyclone track. Within 200 km of the track, mixing-induced cooling increases linearly with WPi, explaining ?30% of the cooling for weak WPis and up to ?80% for large ones. Mixing-induced cooling is strongly modulated by pre-storm oceanic conditions. For a given WPi, vertical processes can induce up to 8 times more cooling for shallow mixed layer and steep temperature stratification than for a deep mixed layer. Vertical mixing is the main source of rightward bias of the cold wake for weak and moderate WPi, but along-track advection becomes the main contributor to the asymmetry for the largest WPis.
0148-0227
C02020
Vincent, Emmanuel M.
06aa233c-bb5e-438e-8672-7a53b826e014
Lengaigne, Matthieu
3f78eafe-bcd2-41c4-9e0e-3b8bb3c55aa4
Madec, Gurvan
ffb28deb-4bbd-4a4c-914f-492f813e4864
Vialard, Jérôme
165dd2c7-d5ec-4bd6-9f20-02e182e38f36
Samson, Guillaume
7c0ea385-6cf7-4740-8937-fd27549cff73
Jourdain, Nicolas C.
768842f8-f66e-4ab0-bfd7-74dd4dbec93d
Menkes, Christophe E.
6c3b7f35-ac87-42e0-bbd2-862657d9c5df
Jullien, Swen
7df84684-a8bc-4d92-929a-b4664238fa67
Vincent, Emmanuel M.
06aa233c-bb5e-438e-8672-7a53b826e014
Lengaigne, Matthieu
3f78eafe-bcd2-41c4-9e0e-3b8bb3c55aa4
Madec, Gurvan
ffb28deb-4bbd-4a4c-914f-492f813e4864
Vialard, Jérôme
165dd2c7-d5ec-4bd6-9f20-02e182e38f36
Samson, Guillaume
7c0ea385-6cf7-4740-8937-fd27549cff73
Jourdain, Nicolas C.
768842f8-f66e-4ab0-bfd7-74dd4dbec93d
Menkes, Christophe E.
6c3b7f35-ac87-42e0-bbd2-862657d9c5df
Jullien, Swen
7df84684-a8bc-4d92-929a-b4664238fa67

Vincent, Emmanuel M., Lengaigne, Matthieu, Madec, Gurvan, Vialard, Jérôme, Samson, Guillaume, Jourdain, Nicolas C., Menkes, Christophe E. and Jullien, Swen (2012) Processes setting the characteristics of sea surface cooling induced by tropical cyclones. Journal of Geophysical Research, 117 (C2), C02020. (doi:10.1029/2011JC007396).

Record type: Article

Abstract

A 1/2° resolution global ocean general circulation model is used to investigate the processes controlling sea surface cooling in the wake of tropical cyclones (TCs). Wind forcing related to more than 3000 TCs occurring during the 1978–2007 period is blended with the CORE II interannual forcing, using an idealized TC wind pattern with observed magnitude and track. The amplitude and spatial characteristics of the TC-induced cooling are consistent with satellite observations, with an average cooling of ?1°C that typically extends over 5 radii of maximum wind. A Wind power index (WPi) is used to discriminate cooling processes under TCs with high-energy transfer to the upper ocean (strong and/or slow cyclones) from the others (weak and/or fast cyclones). Surface heat fluxes contribute to ?50 to 80% of the cooling for weak WPi as well as away from the cyclone track. Within 200 km of the track, mixing-induced cooling increases linearly with WPi, explaining ?30% of the cooling for weak WPis and up to ?80% for large ones. Mixing-induced cooling is strongly modulated by pre-storm oceanic conditions. For a given WPi, vertical processes can induce up to 8 times more cooling for shallow mixed layer and steep temperature stratification than for a deep mixed layer. Vertical mixing is the main source of rightward bias of the cold wake for weak and moderate WPi, but along-track advection becomes the main contributor to the asymmetry for the largest WPis.

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Published date: 2012
Organisations: Marine Systems Modelling

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Local EPrints ID: 341882
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/341882
ISSN: 0148-0227
PURE UUID: a85b1145-e40b-4e76-928f-13281ab8ef74

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Date deposited: 06 Aug 2012 14:25
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 11:45

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Contributors

Author: Emmanuel M. Vincent
Author: Matthieu Lengaigne
Author: Gurvan Madec
Author: Jérôme Vialard
Author: Guillaume Samson
Author: Nicolas C. Jourdain
Author: Christophe E. Menkes
Author: Swen Jullien

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