A two-dimensional model for eddy saturation and frictional control in the Southern Ocean

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Maddison, J. R., Marshall, D. P., Mak, J., Maurer-Song, K.
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2024
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author Maddison, J. R.
Marshall, D. P.
Mak, J.
Maurer-Song, K.
author_facet Maddison, J. R.
Marshall, D. P.
Mak, J.
Maurer-Song, K.
contents The reduced sensitivity of mean Southern Ocean zonal transport with respect to surface wind stress magnitude changes, known as eddy saturation, is studied in an idealised analytical model. The model is based on the assumption of a balance between surface wind stress forcing and bottom dissipation in the planetary geostrophic limit, coupled to the GEOMETRIC form of the Gent--McWilliams eddy parameterisation. The assumption of a linear stratification, together with an equation for the parameterised domain integrated total eddy energy, enables the formulation of a two component dynamical system, which reduces to the non-linear oscillator of Ambaum and Novak (Q. J. R. Meteorolog. Soc. 140(685), 2680--2684, 2014) in a Hamiltonian limit. The model suggests an intrinsic oscillatory time scale for the Southern Ocean, associated with a combination of mean shear erosion by eddies and eddy energy generation by the mean shear. For Southern Ocean parameters the model suggests that perturbing the system via stochastic wind forcing may lead to relatively large excursions in eddy energy.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2409_18035
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A two-dimensional model for eddy saturation and frictional control in the Southern Ocean
Maddison, J. R.
Marshall, D. P.
Mak, J.
Maurer-Song, K.
Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
The reduced sensitivity of mean Southern Ocean zonal transport with respect to surface wind stress magnitude changes, known as eddy saturation, is studied in an idealised analytical model. The model is based on the assumption of a balance between surface wind stress forcing and bottom dissipation in the planetary geostrophic limit, coupled to the GEOMETRIC form of the Gent--McWilliams eddy parameterisation. The assumption of a linear stratification, together with an equation for the parameterised domain integrated total eddy energy, enables the formulation of a two component dynamical system, which reduces to the non-linear oscillator of Ambaum and Novak (Q. J. R. Meteorolog. Soc. 140(685), 2680--2684, 2014) in a Hamiltonian limit. The model suggests an intrinsic oscillatory time scale for the Southern Ocean, associated with a combination of mean shear erosion by eddies and eddy energy generation by the mean shear. For Southern Ocean parameters the model suggests that perturbing the system via stochastic wind forcing may lead to relatively large excursions in eddy energy.
title A two-dimensional model for eddy saturation and frictional control in the Southern Ocean
topic Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.18035