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Reduction of near-inertial energy through the dependence of wind stress on the ocean-surface velocity

Authors :
Xiaoming Zhai
Willi Rath
Richard J. Greatbatch
Source :
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 118:2761-2773
Publication Year :
2013
Publisher :
American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2013.

Abstract

A realistic primitive-equation model of the Southern Ocean at eddying spatial resolution is used to examine the effect of ocean-surface-velocity dependence of the wind stress on the strength of near-inertial oscillations. Accounting for the ocean-surface-velocity dependence of the wind stress leads to a large reduction of wind-induced near-inertial energy of approximately 40 percent and of wind power input into the near-inertial frequency band of approximately 20 percent. A large part of this reduction can be explained by the leading-order modification to the wind stress if the ocean-surface velocity is included. The strength of the reduction is shown to be modulated by the inverse of the ocean-surface-mixed-layer depth. We conclude that the effect of surface-velocity dependence of the wind stress should be taken into account when estimating the wind-power input into the near-inertial frequency band and when estimating near-inertial energy levels in the ocean due to wind forcing.

Details

ISSN :
21699275
Volume :
118
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........110160f5cf7ec522640efe84f0513b70
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20198