Interactions Between Nonlinear Internal Ocean Waves and the Atmosphere
Loading...
Authors
Ortiz-Suslow, David G.
Wang, Qing
Kalogiros, John
Yamaguchi, Ryan
de Paolo, Tony
Terrill, Eric
Shearman, R. Kipp
Welch, Pat
Savelyev, Ivan
Subjects
Advisors
Date of Issue
2019-08
Date
2019-08
Publisher
AGU
Language
en_US
Abstract
The heterogeneity in surface roughness caused by transient, nonlinear internal ocean waves is readily observed in coastal waters. However, the quantifiable impact this heterogeneity has on the marine atmospheric surface layer has not been documented. A comprehensive data set collected from a unique ocean platform provided a novel opportunity to investigate the interaction between this internal ocean process and the atmosphere. Relative to the background atmospheric flow, the presence of internal waves drove wind velocity and stress variance. Furthermore, it is shown that the wind gradient adjusts across individual wave fronts, setting up localized shear that enhanced the air-sea momentum flux over the internal wave packet. This process was largely mechanical, though secondary impacts on the bulk humidity variance and gradient were observed. This study provides the first quantitative analysis of this phenomenon and provides insights into submesoscale air-sea interactions over a transient, internal ocean feature.
Plain Language Summary The ocean surface appears rough because the wind applies a tangential force to the water, which deforms the surface, generating short and steep waves. These small waves, in turn, increase the friction felt by the wind as it blows across the ocean surface, thereby setting up a feedback mechanism that physically links, or couples, the lower atmosphere to the upper ocean. However, our understanding of this interaction in the case of a heterogeneously rough ocean surface is limited. Using a unique ocean platform, we have collected a novel and complete data set demonstrating the impact internal ocean waves have on the near-surface atmospheric variability, through their modulation of the ocean surface roughness. The surface currents associated with internal waves generate bands of smooth and rough water that travel coherently with the internal wave packet. Our analysis shows that these transient surface features have a distinct and profound impact on the physical characteristics and structure of the near-surface atmosphere. In particular, internal waves enhance the wind forcing over the ocean and individual wave fronts significantly alter the vertical wind gradient. Our results provide the first documentation of the impact internal waves have on the atmosphere and suggest that these dynamics should be accounted for when studying fine-scale atmosphere-ocean interactions and the impact internal waves have on the marine environment.
Plain Language Summary The ocean surface appears rough because the wind applies a tangential force to the water, which deforms the surface, generating short and steep waves. These small waves, in turn, increase the friction felt by the wind as it blows across the ocean surface, thereby setting up a feedback mechanism that physically links, or couples, the lower atmosphere to the upper ocean. However, our understanding of this interaction in the case of a heterogeneously rough ocean surface is limited. Using a unique ocean platform, we have collected a novel and complete data set demonstrating the impact internal ocean waves have on the near-surface atmospheric variability, through their modulation of the ocean surface roughness. The surface currents associated with internal waves generate bands of smooth and rough water that travel coherently with the internal wave packet. Our analysis shows that these transient surface features have a distinct and profound impact on the physical characteristics and structure of the near-surface atmosphere. In particular, internal waves enhance the wind forcing over the ocean and individual wave fronts significantly alter the vertical wind gradient. Our results provide the first documentation of the impact internal waves have on the atmosphere and suggest that these dynamics should be accounted for when studying fine-scale atmosphere-ocean interactions and the impact internal waves have on the marine environment.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be found at https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083374
Series/Report No
Department
Meteorology
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
This research was funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Grant N0001418WX01087 under its Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI).
Funder
This research was funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Grant N0001418WX01087 under its Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI).
Format
9 p.
Citation
Ortiz-Suslow, D. G., Wang, Q., Kalogiros, J., Yamaguchi, R., de Paolo, T. & Terrill, E., et al. (2019). Interactions between nonlinear internal ocean waves and the atmosphere. Geophysical Research Letters, 46, 9291–9299. https://doi.org/ 10.1029/2019GL083374
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.