Diagnostics for Near-Surface Wind Response to the Gulf Stream in a Regional Atmospheric Model

The mechanisms acting on near-surface winds over the Gulf Stream are diagnosed using 5-yr outputs of a regional atmospheric model. The diagnostics for the surface-layer momentum vector, its curl, and its convergence are developed with a clear separation of pressure adjustment from downward momentum...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of climate 2015-01, Vol.28 (1), p.238-255
Main Authors: Takatama, Kohei, Minobe, Shoshiro, Inatsu, Masaru, Small, R. Justin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adjustment
Atmospheric boundary layer
Atmospheric models
Boundaries
Boundary currents
Climatology
Cold
Convergence
Curl
Curl (vectors)
Diagnostic systems
Grants
Gulf Stream
Meteorology
Momentum
Ocean currents
Pressure
Regional
Research facilities
Research universities
Rivers
Sea surface
Sea surface temperature
Seasonal variation
Seasonal variations
SPECIAL Climate and Frontal Air-Sea Interaction COLLECTION
Studies
Surface boundary layer
Surface temperature
Surface wind
Western boundary currents
Wind
Wind effects
Winds
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The mechanisms acting on near-surface winds over the Gulf Stream are diagnosed using 5-yr outputs of a regional atmospheric model. The diagnostics for the surface-layer momentum vector, its curl, and its convergence are developed with a clear separation of pressure adjustment from downward momentum inputs from aloft in the surface-layer system. The results suggest that the downward momentum mixing mechanism plays a dominant role in contributing to the annual-mean climatological momentum curl, whereas the pressure adjustment mechanism plays a minor role. In contrast, the wind convergence is mainly due to the pressure adjustment mechanism. This can be explained by the orientation of background wind to the sea surface temperature front. The diagnostics also explain the relatively strong seasonal variation in surface-layer momentum convergence and the small seasonal variation in curl. Finally, the surface-layer response to other western boundary currents is examined using a reanalysis dataset.
ISSN:0894-8755
1520-0442
DOI:10.1175/jcli-d-13-00668.1