Summer surface layer thermal response to surface gravity waves in the Yellow Sea

Abstract

The Princeton Ocean Model (POM) with generalized coordinate system (POMgcs) is used to study the summer surface-layer thermal response to surface gravity waves in the Yellow Sea (YS). The parameterization schemes of wave breaking developed by Mellor and Blumberg (J Phys Oceanogr 34: [693][694][695][696][697][698] 2004) and Kantha and Clayson (Ocean Model 6:101-124, 2004), respectively, and Stokes production developed by Kantha and Clayson (Ocean Model 6:101-124, 2004) are both included in the Mellor-Yamada turbulence closure model Mellor and Yamada (Rev Geophys 20:851-875, 1982) of POMgcs. Numerical results show that surface gravity waves impact the depth of surface mixed layer of temperature in the YS in summer. The surface mixed layer in the YS cannot be reproduced well and has a visible difference from the observation if the parameterization schemes are not included. A diagnostic analysis of turbulent kinetic energy suggests that both Stokes production and wave breaking play key roles in enhancing the turbulent mixing near the sea surface in the YS. Stokes production seems to have a greater impact throughout the upper mixed layer in the YS in summer than that of wave breaking. In addition, a diagnostic analysis of the momentum balance shows that Coriolis-Stokes forcing has a significant effect on the momentum budget in the upper layer in the YS, and surface gravity waves are able to reduce the velocity of mean flow near the surface and make the mean flow near the surface more homogeneous vertically in the YS.

Comment on “Wave‐turbulence interaction and its induced mixing in the upper ocean” by Huang and Qiao

“…It is interesting to note that in contrast, Zhang et al . [] followed Kantha and Clayson [] approach to include Stokes production in their 3‐D Princeton Ocean Model of the Yellow Sea and also came to the same conclusion that the surface mixed layer cannot be simulated properly without wave breaking and Stokes production, with the latter playing a more prominent role. Also, more recently, based on LES studies of “Langmuir turbulence,” Harcourt [] has suggested that it may be necessary to modify the stability functions as well in two‐equation second moment closure models to account for the Craik‐Leibovich vortex force term [ Craik and Leibovich , ] responsible for Langmuir circulation, but whether the resulting marginal improvements warrant the added complication (plus 2 more constants) is not yet clear.…”

Effects of the Sea Surface Roughness and Sea Spray‐Induced Flux Parameterization on the Simulations of a Tropical Cyclone

“…Under the strong wind speed associated with TCs, significant amounts of sea spray droplets are generated due to wave breaking activity (Pant et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2011Zhang et al, , 2012. These droplets affect the air-sea turbulent fluxes by modifying the surface layer of the marine atmospheric boundary layer and the bubblemediated upper oceanic layer.…”

Impact of sea spray on the Yellow and East China Seas thermal structure during the passage of Typhoon Rammasun (2002)

“…Under strong winds of severe weather systems (typhoon, hurricane, etc. ), the large amounts of sea spray droplets are generated by wave breaking [ Zhang et al ., ] in whitecaps and whipping spume from the tips of wave. The sea spray droplets can dramatically affect air‐sea turbulent fluxes by modifying mean state of the air‐sea interface.…”