On a minimum set of equations for parameterisations in comprehensive ocean circulation models

• Published in: Ocean Modelling
• Main Authors: Shevchenko, I, Berloff, P
• Other Authors: Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), The Leverhulme Trust
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021
• Subjects: Science & Technology; Physical Sciences; Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences; Oceanography; Ocean general circulation models; Eddy parameterisations; Geophysical fluid dynamics; STOCHASTIC PARAMETERIZATION; ENERGETICALLY CONSISTENT; physics.ao-ph; physics.geo-ph; 0405 Oceanography; 0911 Maritime Engineering; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/93102; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2021.101913

The complexity of comprehensive ocean models poses an important question for parameterisations: is there a minimum set of equations that should be parameterised, on the one hand, to reduce the development to a minimum, and, on the other hand, to ensure an accurate representation of large-scale flow patterns? This work seeks to answer the question to assist modern parameterisations be more selective in their targets. For this, we considered a model of the North Atlantic and studied contributions of different model equations to the accuracy of representation of the Gulf Stream at low resolution. Our results suggest that one should focus on parameterising the tracer equations for temperature and salinity, and may leave the other equations in the hydrodynamic part, as well as the atmospheric model unmodified. They also suggest that parameterisations representing only Kinetic Energy Backscatter cannot be fully efficient and the main focus should be shifted towards developing parameterisations of combined Potential/Kinetic Energy Backscatters.