Modelling the impact of polar mesoscale cyclones on ocean circulation
Subsynoptic polar mesoscale cyclones (or mesocyclones) are underrepresented in atmospheric reanalysis data sets and are subgrid scale processes in most models used for seasonal or climate forecasting. This lack of representation, particularly over the Nordic Seas, has a significant impact on modeled...
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ftuniveastangl:oai:ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk:26856 2023-05-15T16:00:40+02:00 Modelling the impact of polar mesoscale cyclones on ocean circulation Condron, Alan Bigg, Grant R. Renfrew, Ian A. 2008 application/pdf https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/26856/ https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/26856/1/condron_etal_2007JC004599_JGR_2008.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JC004599 en eng https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/26856/1/condron_etal_2007JC004599_JGR_2008.pdf Condron, Alan, Bigg, Grant R. and Renfrew, Ian A. (2008) Modelling the impact of polar mesoscale cyclones on ocean circulation. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113 (C10005). ISSN 2156-2202 doi:10.1029/2007JC004599 Article PeerReviewed 2008 ftuniveastangl https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JC004599 2023-03-23T23:31:37Z Subsynoptic polar mesoscale cyclones (or mesocyclones) are underrepresented in atmospheric reanalysis data sets and are subgrid scale processes in most models used for seasonal or climate forecasting. This lack of representation, particularly over the Nordic Seas, has a significant impact on modeled ocean circulation due to a consequent underestimation of atmospheric forcing at the air–sea boundary. Using Rankine vortices and a statistically significant linear relationship between mesocyclone diameter and maximum wind speed, a novel parameterization is developed that allows the bogusing in of missing or underrepresented vortices by exploiting a satellite-derived mesocyclone database. From October 1993 to September 1995, more than 2500 cyclones known to be missing from reanalysis data over the northeast Atlantic are parameterized into the forcing fields for a global ocean-only numerical modeling experiment. A comparison of this perturbed forcing simulation to a control simulation shows enhanced surface latent and sensible heat fluxes and a dramatic increase in the cyclonic rotation of the Nordic Seas gyre by four times the average interannual variability. In response to these changes, Greenland Sea Deep Water (GSDW) formation generally increases by up to 20% in 1 month, indicating more active open ocean convection. However such enhancements are smaller than the considerable monthly variability in GSDW production. An accompanying increase in the volume transport of intermediate and deep water overflowing the Denmark Strait highlights an important coupling between short-lived, intense atmospheric activity and deep ocean circulation. The parameterization scheme has the potential to be adapted for use in coupled climate models. Article in Journal/Newspaper Denmark Strait Greenland Greenland Sea Nordic Seas Northeast Atlantic University of East Anglia: UEA Digital Repository Greenland Journal of Geophysical Research 113 C10 |
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Open Polar |
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University of East Anglia: UEA Digital Repository |
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ftuniveastangl |
language |
English |
description |
Subsynoptic polar mesoscale cyclones (or mesocyclones) are underrepresented in atmospheric reanalysis data sets and are subgrid scale processes in most models used for seasonal or climate forecasting. This lack of representation, particularly over the Nordic Seas, has a significant impact on modeled ocean circulation due to a consequent underestimation of atmospheric forcing at the air–sea boundary. Using Rankine vortices and a statistically significant linear relationship between mesocyclone diameter and maximum wind speed, a novel parameterization is developed that allows the bogusing in of missing or underrepresented vortices by exploiting a satellite-derived mesocyclone database. From October 1993 to September 1995, more than 2500 cyclones known to be missing from reanalysis data over the northeast Atlantic are parameterized into the forcing fields for a global ocean-only numerical modeling experiment. A comparison of this perturbed forcing simulation to a control simulation shows enhanced surface latent and sensible heat fluxes and a dramatic increase in the cyclonic rotation of the Nordic Seas gyre by four times the average interannual variability. In response to these changes, Greenland Sea Deep Water (GSDW) formation generally increases by up to 20% in 1 month, indicating more active open ocean convection. However such enhancements are smaller than the considerable monthly variability in GSDW production. An accompanying increase in the volume transport of intermediate and deep water overflowing the Denmark Strait highlights an important coupling between short-lived, intense atmospheric activity and deep ocean circulation. The parameterization scheme has the potential to be adapted for use in coupled climate models. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Condron, Alan Bigg, Grant R. Renfrew, Ian A. |
spellingShingle |
Condron, Alan Bigg, Grant R. Renfrew, Ian A. Modelling the impact of polar mesoscale cyclones on ocean circulation |
author_facet |
Condron, Alan Bigg, Grant R. Renfrew, Ian A. |
author_sort |
Condron, Alan |
title |
Modelling the impact of polar mesoscale cyclones on ocean circulation |
title_short |
Modelling the impact of polar mesoscale cyclones on ocean circulation |
title_full |
Modelling the impact of polar mesoscale cyclones on ocean circulation |
title_fullStr |
Modelling the impact of polar mesoscale cyclones on ocean circulation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modelling the impact of polar mesoscale cyclones on ocean circulation |
title_sort |
modelling the impact of polar mesoscale cyclones on ocean circulation |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/26856/ https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/26856/1/condron_etal_2007JC004599_JGR_2008.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JC004599 |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Denmark Strait Greenland Greenland Sea Nordic Seas Northeast Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Denmark Strait Greenland Greenland Sea Nordic Seas Northeast Atlantic |
op_relation |
https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/26856/1/condron_etal_2007JC004599_JGR_2008.pdf Condron, Alan, Bigg, Grant R. and Renfrew, Ian A. (2008) Modelling the impact of polar mesoscale cyclones on ocean circulation. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113 (C10005). ISSN 2156-2202 doi:10.1029/2007JC004599 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JC004599 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research |
container_volume |
113 |
container_issue |
C10 |
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1766396683640373248 |