Modeling studies of the upper ocean response to a tropical cyclone |
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| Authors: | Steven L Morey Mark A Bourassa Dmitry S Dukhovskoy James J O’Brien |
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| Institution: | (1) Center for Ocean–Atmospheric Prediction Studies, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2840, USA |
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| Abstract: | A coupled ocean and boundary layer flux numerical modeling system is used to study the upper ocean response to surface heat
and momentum fluxes associated with a major hurricane, namely, Hurricane Dennis (July 2005) in the Gulf of Mexico. A suite
of experiments is run using this modeling system, constructed by coupling a Navy Coastal Ocean Model simulation of the Gulf
of Mexico to an atmospheric flux model. The modeling system is forced by wind fields produced from satellite scatterometer
and atmospheric model wind data, and by numerical weather prediction air temperature data. The experiments are initialized
from a data assimilative hindcast model run and then forced by surface fluxes with no assimilation for the time during which
Hurricane Dennis impacted the region. Four experiments are run to aid in the analysis: one is forced by heat and momentum
fluxes, one by only momentum fluxes, one by only heat fluxes, and one with no surface forcing. An equation describing the
change in the upper ocean hurricane heat potential due to the storm is developed. Analysis of the model results show that
surface heat fluxes are primarily responsible for widespread reduction (0.5°–1.5°C) of sea surface temperature over the inner
West Florida Shelf 100–300 km away from the storm center. Momentum fluxes are responsible for stronger surface cooling (2°C)
near the center of the storm. The upper ocean heat loss near the storm center of more than 200 MJ/m2 is primarily due to the vertical flux of thermal energy between the surface layer and deep ocean. Heat loss to the atmosphere
during the storm’s passage is approximately 100–150 MJ/m2. The upper ocean cooling is enhanced where the preexisting mixed layer is shallow, e.g., within a cyclonic circulation feature,
although the heat flux to the atmosphere in these locations is markedly reduced. |
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| Keywords: | Air– sea interaction Tropical cyclones Ocean modeling Air– sea fluxes |
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