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Climate data derived from long-term, multisource altimeter significant wave height (SWH) measurements are more valuable than those obtained from a single altimeter source. Such data facilitate exploration of long-term air–sea momentum transfer and more comprehensive investigation of weather system dynamics processes over the ocean. Despite the deployment of the first satellite in the Chinese Haiyang-2 (HY-2) series more than 12 years ago, validation and integration of SWH data from China's offshore waters, derived using Chinese altimeters, have been limited. This study constructed a high-resolution, long-term, multisource gridded SWH climate dataset using along-track data from the HY-2 series, CFOSAT, Jason-2, Jason-3, and Cryosat-2 altimeters. Validation against observations from 31 buoys covering China's offshore waters indicated that the SWH variances from HY-2A, HY-2B, HY-2C, CFOSAT, and Jason-3 altimeters correlated well with observations, with a temporal correlation coefficient of approximately 0.95 (except HY-2A, correlation: 0.89). These SWH measurements generally showed a robust linear relationship with the buoy data. Additionally, cross-calibration between Jason-3 and the HY-2A, HY-2B, HY-2C, and CFOSAT altimeters also demonstrated a typically linear relationship for SWH > 6.0 m. Using this relationship, the SWH data were linearly corrected and integrated into a 10 d mean, long-term, multisource altimeter gridded SWH dataset. Compared with in situ observations, the merged 10 d mean SWHs are more accurate and closely match the observations, with temporal correlation coefficients improving from 0.87 to 0.90 and bias decreasing from 0.28 to 0.03 m. The merged gridded SWHs effectively represent the local spatial distribution of SWH. This study revealed the importance of observational data in the process of merging and recalibrating long-term multisource altimeter SWH datasets, particularly before their application in specific ocean regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non‐local model of mixing based on internal wave breaking, IDEMIX, is implemented as an enhancement of a turbulent kinetic energy closure model in three non‐eddy resolving general circulation ocean models that differ in the discretization and choice of computational grids. In IDEMIX internal wave energy is generated by an energy flux resulting from near‐inertial waves induced by wind forcing at the surface, and at the bottom, by an energy flux that parameterizes the transfer of energy between baroclinic and barotropic tides. In all model simulations with IDEMIX, the mixing work is increased compared to the reference solutions without IDEMIX, reaching values in better agreement with finestructure observations. Furthermore, the horizontal structure of the mixing work is more realistic as a consequence of the heterogeneous forcing functions. All models with IDEMIX simulate deeper thermocline depths related to stronger shallow overturning cells in the Indo‐Pacific. In the North Atlantic, deeper mixed layers in simulations with IDEMIX are associated with an increased Atlantic overturning circulation and an increase of northward heat transports toward more realistic values. The response of the deep Indo‐Pacific overturning circulation and the weak bottom cell of the Atlantic to the inclusion of IDEMIX is incoherent between the models, suggesting that additional unidentified processes and numerical mixing may confound the analysis. Applying different tidal forcing functions leads to simulation differences that are small compared to differences between the different models or between simulations with IDEMIX and without IDEMIX. Plain Language Summary: Waves in the ocean interior play a fundamental role for ocean dynamics since they can carry energy over long distances and, once they break, lead to turbulent mixing. This turbulent mixing can cause dense water masses to rise from the deep ocean with a direct impact on large‐scale currents. The wave dynamics occur on spatial scales that cannot be resolved in global ocean or climate models. To account for these processes, we apply the new parameterization IDEMIX that describes internal wave generation, propagation, and mixing. Using three different ocean models with and without IDEMIX ensures that we can identify model‐specific effects of the parameterization and discriminate them from those independent of the model. We find that the simulated mixing patterns agree better with observations once IDEMIX is applied. Large‐scale currents and the vertical temperature distribution are substantially affected by the internal wave parameterization. Whether this leads to an improved agreement with observed currents and water mass properties depends on the specific model and on numerical effects. In most cases, simulations with IDEMIX are not very sensitive to details of how the internal wave model is driven by tidal energy input. Key Points: the IDEMIX closure for a consistent representation of internal wave‐induced mixing is evaluated in three state‐of‐the‐art ocean modelsonly in simulations with IDEMIX can the models reproduce the magnitude and spatial variability of the observed mixing workmost changes with IDEMIX can be attributed to stronger mixing, but some effects are confounded by other processes and numerical mixing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the first multi-year km-scale global coupled simulations using ECMWF's Integrated Forecasting System (IFS) coupled to both the NEMO and FESOM ocean-sea ice models, as part of the Horizon 2020 Next Generation Earth Modelling Systems (nextGEMS) project. We focus mainly on the two unprecedented IFS-FESOM coupled setups, with an atmospheric resolution of 2.8 km and 4.4 km, respectively, and the same spatially varying ocean resolution that reaches locally below 5 km grid-spacing. This is enabled by a refactored ocean model code that allows for more efficient coupled simulations with IFS in a single-executable setup, employing hybrid parallelisation with MPI and OpenMP. A number of shortcomings in the original NWP-focussed model configurations were identified and mitigated over several cycles collaboratively by the modelling centres, academia, and the wider nextGEMS community. The main improvements are (i) better conservation properties of the coupled model system in terms of water and energy balance, which benefit also ECMWF's operational 9 km IFS-NEMO model, (ii) a realistic top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) radiation balance throughout the year, (iii) improved intense precipitation characteristics, and (iv) eddy-resolving features in large parts of the mid- and high-latitude oceans (finer than 5 km grid-spacing) to resolve mesoscale eddies and sea ice leads. New developments made at ECMWF for a better representation of snow and land use, including a dedicated scheme for urban areas, were also tested on multi-year timescales. We provide first examples of significant advances in the realism and thus opportunities of these km-scale simulations, such as a clear imprint of resolved Arctic sea ice leads on atmospheric temperature, impacts of km-scale urban areas on the diurnal temperature cycle in cities, and better propagation and symmetry characteristics of the Madden-Julian Oscillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the impact of increasing resolution on Arctic Ocean simulations using five pairs of matched low- and high-resolution models within the OMIP-2 (Ocean Model Intercomparison Project phase 2) framework. The primary objective is to assess whether a higher resolution can mitigate typical biases in low-resolution models and improve the representation of key climate-relevant variables. We reveal that increasing the horizontal resolution contributes to a reduction in biases in mean temperature and salinity and improves the simulation of the Atlantic water layer and its decadal warming events. A higher resolution also leads to better agreement with observed surface mixed-layer depth, cold halocline base depth and Arctic gateway transports in the Fram and Davis straits. However, the simulation of the mean state and temporal changes in Arctic freshwater content does not show improvement with increased resolution. Not all models achieve improvements for all analyzed ocean variables when spatial resolution is increased so it is crucial to recognize that model numerics and parameterizations also play an important role in faithful simulations. Overall, a higher resolution shows promise in improving the simulation of key Arctic Ocean features and processes, but efforts in model development are required to achieve more accurate representations across all climate-relevant variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the impact of increasing resolution on Arctic Ocean simulations using five pairs of matched lowand high-resolution models within the OMIP-2 framework. The primary objective is to assess whether higher resolution can mitigate typical biases observed in low-resolution models and improve the representation of key climate-relevant variables. We reveal that increasing horizontal resolution contributes to a reduction in biases in mean temperature and salinity, and improves the simulation of the Atlantic Water layer and its decadal warming events. Higher resolution also leads to improved agreement with observed surface mixed layer depth, cold halocline base depth and Arctic gateway transports. However, the simulation of the mean state and temporal changes in Arctic freshwater content does not show improvement with increased resolution. While the use of higher resolution demonstrates positive outcomes for certain variables, it is crucial to recognize that model numerics and parameterizations also play a significant role in achieving faithful simulations. Overall, higher resolution shows promise in improving the simulation of key Arctic Ocean features and processes, but comprehensive model development is required to achieve more accurate representations across all climate-relevant variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoscale eddies are important to many aspects of the dynamics of the Arctic Ocean. Among others, they maintain the halocline and interact with the Atlantic Water circumpolar boundary current through lateral eddy fluxes and shelfbasin exchanges. Mesoscale eddies are also important for transporting biological material and for modifying sea ice distribution. Here, we review what is known about eddies and their impacts in the Arctic Ocean in the context of rapid climate change. Eddy kinetic energy (EKE) is a proxy for mesoscale variability in the ocean due to eddies. We present the first quantification of EKE from moored observations across the entire Arctic Ocean and compare those results to output from an eddy resolving numerical model. We show that EKE is largest in the northern Nordic Seas/Fram Strait an it is also elevated along the shelf break of the Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current, especially in the Beaufort Sea. In the central basins, EKE is 100–1,000 times lower. Generally, EKE is stronger when sea ice concentration is low versus times of dense ice cover. As sea ice declines, we anticipate that areas in the Arctic Ocean where conditions typical of the North Atlantic and North Pacific prevail will increase. We conclude that the future Arctic Ocean will feature more energetic mesoscale variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]