The influence of high‐resolution wind stress field on the power input to near‐inertial motions in the ocean. Issue 18 (23rd September 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rimac, Antonija; von, Jin‐Song; Eden, Carsten; Haak, Helmuth
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 40:Issue 18(2013:Sep.)
• Page Start: 4882
• Page End: 4886
• Publication Date: 2013-09-23
• Subjects: Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1002/grl.50929
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="grl50929-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p id="grl50929-para-0001">[1] The wind power input to near‐inertial (NI) motions is studied using a global eddy‐permitting ocean general circulation model. The model is forced by high‐ (1‐hourly, at 0.35° resolution) and low‐resolution (6‐hourly, at 1.875° resolution) wind data. A change from low‐ to high‐resolution forcing results in an increase in NI kinetic energy by a factor three and raises the wind‐generated power input to NI motions from 0.3 TW to 1.1 TW. Time and space filtering of the wind fields yield less kinetic energy, with a larger drop from time filtering. This strong sensitivity to wind forcing points to a possible underestimation of the wind‐generated energy available for deep ocean mixing in previous studies based on low‐resolution winds.</p> </abstract>