Open AccessA diagnostic model of the diurnal cycle of sea surface temperature for use in coupled ocean‐atmosphere models
Author(s) -
Schiller A.,
Godfrey J. S.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: oceans
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2005jc002975
Subject(s) - diurnal cycle , mixed layer , atmosphere (unit) , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , sea surface temperature , climatology , planetary boundary layer , sensible heat , atmospheric model , boundary layer , meteorology , geology , mechanics , physics
On the basis of a method of estimating the diurnal amplitude of sea surface temperature (SST) as a function of the diurnal integrals of surface heat and momentum fluxes, a parameterization scheme of the diurnal cycle of SST is implemented in a one‐dimensional ocean mixed‐layer model. Many coupled ocean‐atmosphere models using bulk mixed‐layer schemes underestimate the diurnal cycle in sea surface temperature by up to 2°C. This discrepancy is caused by coarse vertical resolution in the upper grid boxes of the ocean components. A simple solution is suggested by adding one extra transient level: a variable‐depth diurnal sublayer within the top model level which accommodates the diurnal buoyancy cycle. A one‐dimensional mixed‐layer model with 10‐m resolution and with sublayer simulates diurnal SSTs close to those observed from the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere/Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA/COARE) with typical errors of about 0.1°C. The impact of improved SSTs on surface heat fluxes is also shown by coupling the one‐dimensional mixed‐layer model with sublayer to an atmospheric boundary layer model.