HR:  10:45h
AN: OS11S-08
TI: On the Influence of Surface Boundary Conditions on Idealized Eddy-permitting Ocean Simulations
AU: * Huck, T
EM: tnh@gfdl.gov
AF: GFDL, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540 United States
AU: Vallis, G
EM: gkv@princeton.edu
AF: GFDL, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540 United States
AB: We investigate the role of various surface boundary conditions on
various large-scale and eddy characteristics of the flow of a primitive
equation ocean circulation model. In particular, we investigate the
effects of restoring, specified constant fluxes, and coupling to an
atmospheric energy balance model on GFDL's Modular Ocean Model (MOM).
The model is run at eddy-permitting resolution until statistical
steady-state is achieved in various idealized configurations, namely a
periodic channel mimicking the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and an
idealized gyre. Approximately realistic levels of eddy kinetic energy
are reached, through the use of biharmonic diffusion of momentum and
tracer. Two questions are specifically addressed.
(i) Does the coupling coefficient with the atmosphere has any damping
influence on the eddies?
(ii) Does the coupling coefficient influence the compensation in poleward
heat transport between mean flow and eddies, as suggested by a number of
other studies?
The results of these experiments suggests that the eddy characteristics
are not strongly affected by the choice of surface boundary condition,
although the larger scale general circulation, and its interannual
variability, may be.
DE: 4500 OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICAL
DE: 4520 Eddies and mesoscale processes
DE: 4532 General circulation
SC: OS
MN: 2000 Ocean Sciences Meeting