Effects of a Cold Ocean Eddy on Local Atmospheric Boundary Layer Near the Kuroshio Extension: In Situ Observations and Model Experiments. Issue 11 (7th June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jiang, Yuxi; Zhang, Suping; Xie, Shang‐ping; Chen, Yang; Liu, Haikun
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 124:Issue 11(2019)
• Page Start: 5779
• Page End: 5790
• Publication Date: 2019-06-07
• Subjects: Atmospheric physics -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 551.5
• DOI: 10.1029/2018JD029382
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-897X

Abstract

Abstract: Shipboard observations captured clear modulations of the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) over a 300‐km‐diameter cold eddy in the Kuroshio Extension in April 2014. Regional atmospheric model experiments, with 30‐km and 10‐km horizontal resolutions for outer and inner domains, respectively, are conducted to aid the interpretations of the in situ observations. Enhanced turbulent heat fluxes promoted a well‐mixed MABL up to 1900‐m deep and a stratocumulus layer over the warm water west of the eddy. Over the cold sea surface of the eddy, the MABL was free of cloud and shrank to 1, 200‐m deep. In the transition zone from the warm water in the west to the cold eddy, the MABL deepened and convective cumulus developed under a temperature inversion at 2, 800 m. Model results indicate that, via the vertical mixing and pressure adjustment mechanisms, low sea surface temperatures of the cold eddy drives anomalous easterly winds in the transition zone, causing surface convergence to deepen the MABL and clouds. The model further shows that the atmospheric asymmetric responses in surface divergence and secondary circulation are due to the combined effects of the vertical mixing and pressure adjustment. Key Points: Shipboard measurements captured a deepened MABL and convective cumulus in a transition zone from warm water to a cold ocean eddy The wind variations, due to the effects of the vertical mixing and pressure adjustment, caused the MABL deepening and cloud development