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Effect of Sea Surface Temperature–Wind Stress Coupling on Baroclinic Instability in the Ocean

Effect of Sea Surface Temperature–Wind Stress Coupling on Baroclinic Instability in the Ocean The impact of the observed relationship between sea surface temperature and surface wind stress on baroclinic instability in the ocean is explored using linear theory and a nonlinear model. A simple parameterization of the influence of sea surface temperature on wind stress is used to derive a surface boundary condition for the vertical velocity at the base of the oceanic Ekman layer. This boundary condition is applied to the classic linear, quasigeostrophic stability problem for a uniformly sheared flow originally studied by Eady in the 1940s. The results demonstrate that for a wind directed from warm water toward cold water, the coupling acts to enhance the growth rate, and increase the wavelength, of the most unstable wave. Winds in the opposite sense reduce the growth rate and decrease the wavelength of the most unstable wave. For representative coupling strengths, the change in growth rate can be as large as ± O (50%). This effect is largest for shallow, strongly stratified, low-latitude flows. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Physical Oceanography American Meteorological Society

Effect of Sea Surface Temperature–Wind Stress Coupling on Baroclinic Instability in the Ocean

Spall, Michael A.
Journal of Physical Oceanography , Volume 37 (4) – Feb 8, 2006
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Publisher
American Meteorological Society
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 American Meteorological Society
ISSN
1520-0485
DOI
10.1175/JPO3045.1
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The impact of the observed relationship between sea surface temperature and surface wind stress on baroclinic instability in the ocean is explored using linear theory and a nonlinear model. A simple parameterization of the influence of sea surface temperature on wind stress is used to derive a surface boundary condition for the vertical velocity at the base of the oceanic Ekman layer. This boundary condition is applied to the classic linear, quasigeostrophic stability problem for a uniformly sheared flow originally studied by Eady in the 1940s. The results demonstrate that for a wind directed from warm water toward cold water, the coupling acts to enhance the growth rate, and increase the wavelength, of the most unstable wave. Winds in the opposite sense reduce the growth rate and decrease the wavelength of the most unstable wave. For representative coupling strengths, the change in growth rate can be as large as ± O (50%). This effect is largest for shallow, strongly stratified, low-latitude flows.

Journal

Journal of Physical Oceanography – American Meteorological Society

Published: Feb 8, 2006

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