Open AccessNeed to represent upper ocean turbulence in climate models
Author(s) -
Balcerak Ernie
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2012eo470021
Subject(s) - turbulence , langmuir turbulence , mixing (physics) , climate model , boundary layer , planetary boundary layer , atmosphere (unit) , climatology , meteorology , environmental science , mixed layer , geology , surface layer , atmospheric sciences , sea surface temperature , oceanography , climate change , geography , mechanics , physics , layer (electronics) , materials science , plasma oscillation , plasma , quantum mechanics , composite material
The ocean surface boundary layer—approximately the uppermost 100 meters of the ocean—is important in controlling the exchange of heat and gases between the atmosphere and the ocean, but, as Belcher et al. show, current climate models' parameterizations of mixing in the upper ocean are inadequate. In particular, most global climate models do not include representation of surface wave–driven Langmuir turbulence, which is an important driver of mixing and a control on the depth of the ocean surface boundary layer. Failing to include turbulence driven by surface waves causes models to inaccurately calculate the depth of this boundary layer and leads to bias of several degrees in sea surface temperature estimates. Including this turbulence could help improve the models. ( Geophysical Research Letters , doi:10.1029/2012GL052932, 2012)