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Fast Warming of the Surface Ocean Under a Climatological Scenario
Author(s) -
Jamet Q.,
Dewar W. K.,
Wienders N.,
Deremble B.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2019gl082336
Subject(s) - forcing (mathematics) , environmental science , climatology , sea surface temperature , planetary boundary layer , atmospheric model , atmospheric sciences , effects of global warming on oceans , ocean heat content , mixed layer , boundary layer , global warming , climate change , meteorology , geology , oceanography , geography , physics , thermodynamics
We examine various strategies for forcing ocean‐only models, including an atmospheric boundary layer model. This surface forcing allows air‐sea exchanges to affect atmospheric temperature and relative humidity, thus removing the assumption of an infinite atmospheric heat capacity associated with the prescription of these variables. When exposed to climatological winds, the simulated North Atlantic oceanic temperature warms considerably at the surface as compared to a model with full atmospheric variability. This warming is mainly explained by a weakened upper‐ocean vertical mixing in response to the weakly varying climatological winds. Specifying the atmospheric temperatures inhibits this warming but depends on the unrealistic large atmospheric heat capacity. We thus interpret the simulated warmer ocean as a more physically consistent ocean response. We conclude the use of an atmospheric boundary layer model provides many benefits for ocean only modeling, although a “normal” year strategy is required for maintaining high‐frequency winds.