Mesoscale atmosphere ocean coupling enhances the transfer of wind energy into the ocean
Although it is well established that the large-scale wind drives much of the world’s ocean circulation, the contribution of the wind energy input at mesoscales (10–200 km) remains poorly known. Here we use regional simulations with a coupled high-resolution atmosphere–ocean model of the South Atlant...
Published in: | Nature Communications |
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Nature Research
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Online Access: | https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/1/2016_byrne.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/7/ncomms11867.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11867 |
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ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:33045 2023-05-15T18:25:25+02:00 Mesoscale atmosphere ocean coupling enhances the transfer of wind energy into the ocean Byrne, D. Munnich, M. Frenger, Ivy Gruber, N. 2016-06-13 text https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/1/2016_byrne.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/7/ncomms11867.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11867 en eng Nature Research https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/1/2016_byrne.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/7/ncomms11867.pdf Byrne, D., Munnich, M., Frenger, I. and Gruber, N. (2016) Mesoscale atmosphere ocean coupling enhances the transfer of wind energy into the ocean. Open Access Nature Communications, 7 (art. no. 11867). DOI 10.1038/ncomms11867 <https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11867>. doi:10.1038/ncomms11867 cc_by_4.0 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Article PeerReviewed 2016 ftoceanrep https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11867 2023-04-07T15:26:04Z Although it is well established that the large-scale wind drives much of the world’s ocean circulation, the contribution of the wind energy input at mesoscales (10–200 km) remains poorly known. Here we use regional simulations with a coupled high-resolution atmosphere–ocean model of the South Atlantic, to show that mesoscale ocean features and, in particular, eddies can be energized by their thermodynamic interactions with the atmosphere. Owing to their sea-surface temperature anomalies affecting the wind field above them, the oceanic eddies in the presence of a large-scale wind gradient provide a mesoscale conduit for the transfer of energy into the ocean. Our simulations show that this pathway is responsible for up to 10% of the kinetic energy of the oceanic mesoscale eddy field in the South Atlantic. The conditions for this pathway to inject energy directly into the mesoscale prevail over much of the Southern Ocean north of the Polar Front. Article in Journal/Newspaper Southern Ocean OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) Southern Ocean Nature Communications 7 1 |
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OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) |
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ftoceanrep |
language |
English |
description |
Although it is well established that the large-scale wind drives much of the world’s ocean circulation, the contribution of the wind energy input at mesoscales (10–200 km) remains poorly known. Here we use regional simulations with a coupled high-resolution atmosphere–ocean model of the South Atlantic, to show that mesoscale ocean features and, in particular, eddies can be energized by their thermodynamic interactions with the atmosphere. Owing to their sea-surface temperature anomalies affecting the wind field above them, the oceanic eddies in the presence of a large-scale wind gradient provide a mesoscale conduit for the transfer of energy into the ocean. Our simulations show that this pathway is responsible for up to 10% of the kinetic energy of the oceanic mesoscale eddy field in the South Atlantic. The conditions for this pathway to inject energy directly into the mesoscale prevail over much of the Southern Ocean north of the Polar Front. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Byrne, D. Munnich, M. Frenger, Ivy Gruber, N. |
spellingShingle |
Byrne, D. Munnich, M. Frenger, Ivy Gruber, N. Mesoscale atmosphere ocean coupling enhances the transfer of wind energy into the ocean |
author_facet |
Byrne, D. Munnich, M. Frenger, Ivy Gruber, N. |
author_sort |
Byrne, D. |
title |
Mesoscale atmosphere ocean coupling enhances the transfer of wind energy into the ocean |
title_short |
Mesoscale atmosphere ocean coupling enhances the transfer of wind energy into the ocean |
title_full |
Mesoscale atmosphere ocean coupling enhances the transfer of wind energy into the ocean |
title_fullStr |
Mesoscale atmosphere ocean coupling enhances the transfer of wind energy into the ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mesoscale atmosphere ocean coupling enhances the transfer of wind energy into the ocean |
title_sort |
mesoscale atmosphere ocean coupling enhances the transfer of wind energy into the ocean |
publisher |
Nature Research |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/1/2016_byrne.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/7/ncomms11867.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11867 |
geographic |
Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean |
genre |
Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/1/2016_byrne.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33045/7/ncomms11867.pdf Byrne, D., Munnich, M., Frenger, I. and Gruber, N. (2016) Mesoscale atmosphere ocean coupling enhances the transfer of wind energy into the ocean. Open Access Nature Communications, 7 (art. no. 11867). DOI 10.1038/ncomms11867 <https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11867>. doi:10.1038/ncomms11867 |
op_rights |
cc_by_4.0 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11867 |
container_title |
Nature Communications |
container_volume |
7 |
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1 |
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1766206865567383552 |