A climatology of mesoscale model simulated low-level wind jets over Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait, Alaska

Weather in the North Gulf of Alaska is characterized by a high frequency of deep synoptic-scale low-pressure systems, especially during the cold season. The strong pressure gradients of these storms interact with the extremely rugged terrain of the coastal mountains to produce a variety of channeled flows. These surface wind regimes are not well documented in the scientific community, due to the paucity of observations. Modeling of these phenomena in regions of complex terrain is of great interest to those working with hydrodynamic, wave, and pollutant transport models in coastal and shelf areas. Such models, when coupled with ocean and coastal-ecology counterparts, give a broad view of the role surface winds play in shaping local coastal marine ecosystem in this region. This paper presents a climatology of simulated low-level wind jets over the domain of Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait along Alaska's south-central coast. Daily simulations using the RAMS model were conducted in a 36-h forecast mode for the cold-season period 10/1/03 to 3/31/04. Systematic analysis of the resulting simulated low-level wind field makes it possible to characterize these jets and gap flows in spatial and temporal detail. The comparison between the RAMS winds and the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)-derived winds when available verifies the existence of these wind jets and the capability of the model to simulate these cases. Clearly, the results of a study in this region depend on the fidelity of the model at these scales (O[5 km]). The SAR comparisons attempt to help establish this. From the 6 months of simulations over Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait, the low-level wind jets are classified into 10 different regimes by location and orientation. These regimes are categorized into four more general groups: cross-channel westerly, easterly, and up and down Inlet flows. The nature of a particular regime is largely a function of pressure gradient orientation and local topography. Jets in the same group have a similar occurrence distribution with time. Some form of jet occurred in the study region almost daily each month of the period, with December 2003 having the highest frequency of wind jets.     

A model of the formation and development of ocean shear wave

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中尺度地形扰动的非线性问题半解析解

将大气和海洋中f-平面上中尺度地形的扰动问题统一起来作为一个地球物理流体力学问题，应用涡度、能量和经圈动量守恒条件，将原来高度非线性方程变成一个二阶椭园型非线性方程，用数值模拟方法分析了大气中的过山运动和海洋中的沿岸上升流，给出了与观测接近的模拟结果以及运动过程对内部物理参数和外界条件的敏感性分析。所提方法可供进一步的动力学分析和数值研究参考。     

Influence of Mesoscale Eddies on Variations of the Kuroshio Path South of Japan

The influences of mesoscale eddies on variations of the Kuroshio path south of Japan have been investigated using time series of the Kuroshio axis location and altimeter-derived sea surface height maps for a period of seven years from 1993 to 1999, when the Kuroshio followed its non-large meander path. It was found that both the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies may interact with the Kuroshio and trigger short-term meanders of the Kuroshio path, although not all eddies that approached or collided with the Kuroshio formed meanders. An anticyclonic eddy that revolves clockwise in a region south of Shikoku and Cape Shionomisaki with a period of about 5–6 months was found to propagate westward along about 30°N and collide with the Kuroshio in the east of Kyushu or south of Shikoku. This collision sometimes triggers meanders which propagate over the whole region south of Japan. The eddy was advected downstream, generating a meander on the downstream side to the east of Cape Shionomisaki. After the eddy passed Cape Shionomisaki, it detached from the Kuroshio and started to move westward again. Sometimes the eddy merges with other anticyclonic eddies traveling from the east. Coalescence of cyclonic eddies, which are also generated in the Kuroshio Extension region and propagate westward in the Kuroshio recirculation region south of Japan, into the Kuroshio in the east of Kyushu, also triggers meanders which mainly propagate only in a region west of Cape Shionomisaki. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Modeling of the eddy viscosity by breaking waves

Breaking wave induced nearsurface turbulence has important consequences for many physical and biochemical processes including water column and nutrients mixing,heat and gases exchange across air-sea interface.The energy loss from wave breaking and the bubble plume penetration depth are estimated.As a consequence,the vertical distribution of the turbulent kinetic energy(TKE),the TKE dissipation rate and the eddy viscosity induced by wave breaking are also provided.It is indicated that model results are found to be consistent with the observational evidence that most TKE generated by wave breaking is lost within a depth of a few meters near the sea surface.High turbulence level with intensities of eddy viscosity induced by breaking is nearly four orders larger than υwl(=κuwz),the value predicted for the wall layer scaling close to the surface,where uw is the friction velocity in water,κ with 0.4 is the von Kármán constant,and z is the water depth,and the strength of the eddy viscosity depends both on wind speed and sea state,and decays rapidly through the depth.This leads to the conclusion that the breaking wave induced vertical mixing is mainly limited to the near surface layer,well above the classical values expected from the similarity theory.Deeper down,however,the effects of wave breaking on the vertical mixing become less important.     

Monitoring the Kuroshio Extension with Dynamically Constrained Synthesis of the Acoustic Tomography, Satellite Altimeter and in situ Data

A finite-difference quasigeostrophic (QG) model of an open ocean region has been employed to produce a dynamically constrained synthesis of acoustic tomography and satellite altimetry data with in situ observations. The assimilation algorithm is based upon the 4D variational data interpolation scheme controlled by the model's initial and boundary conditions. The data sets analyzed include direct and differential travel times measured at the array of five acoustic transceivers deployed by JAMSTEC in the region of the Kuroshio Extension in 1997, Topex/Poseidon altimetry, CTD soundings, and ADCP velocity profiles. The region monitored is located within the area 27.5°–36.5°N, 143°–155°. The results of assimilation show that mesoscale variability can be effectively reconstructed by five transceivers measuring direct and reciprocal travel times supported by relatively sparse in situ measurements. The misfits between model and data lie within the observational error bars for all the data types used in assimilation. We have compared the results of assimilation with the statistical inversion of travel time data and analyzed energy balances of the optimized model solution. Energy exchange between the depth-averaged and shear components of the observed currents reveals a weak decay of the barotropic mode at the rate of 0.2 ± 0.7⋅10⁻⁵ cm²/s³ due to topographic interaction. Mean currents in the region are unstable with an estimate of the available potential energy flux from the mean current to the eddies of 4.7 ± 2.3⋅10⁻⁵ cm²/s³. Kinetic energy transition has the same sign and is estimated as 2.8 ± 2.5⋅10⁻⁵ cm²/s³. Potential enstrophy is transferred to the mesoscale at a rate of 5.5 ± 2.7⋅10⁻¹⁸ s⁻³. These figures provide observational evidence of the properties of free geostrophic turbulence which were predicted by theory and observed in numerical experiments. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of cold eddy on phytoplankton production and assemblages in Luzon strait bordering the South China Sea

The biochemical effects of a cold-core eddy that was shed from the Kuroshio Current at the Luzon Strait bordering the South China Sea (SCS) were studied in late spring, a relatively unproductive season in the SCS. The extent of the eddy was determined by time-series images of SeaWiFS ocean color, AVHRR sea surface temperature, and TOPEX/Jason-1 sea surface height anomaly. Nutrient budgets, nitrate-based new production, primary production, and phytoplankton assemblages were compared between the eddy and its surrounding Kuroshio and SCS waters. The enhanced productivity in the eddy was comparable to wintertime productivity in the SCS basin, which is supported by upwelled subsurface nitrate under the prevailing Northeastern Monsoon. There were more Synechococcus, pico-eucaryotes, and diatoms, but less Trichodesmium in the surface water inside the eddy than outside. Prochlorococcus and Richelia intracellularis showed no spatial differences. Water column-integrated primary production (IPP) inside the eddy was 2–3 times that outside the eddy in the SCS (1.09 vs. 0.59 g C m⁻²d⁻¹), as was nitrate-based new production (INP) (0.67 vs. 0.25 g C m⁻²d⁻¹). INP in the eddy was 6 times that in the Kuroshio (0.12 g C m⁻²d⁻¹). IPP and INP in the eddy were higher than the maximum production values ever measured in the SCS basin. Surface chlorophyll a concentration (0.40 mg m⁻³) in the eddy equaled the maximum concentration registered for the SCS basin and was higher than the wintertime average (0.29 ± 0.04 mg m⁻³). INP was 3.5 times as great and IPP was doubled in the eddy compared to the wintertime SCS basin. As cold core eddies form intermittently all year round as the Kuroshio invades the SCS, their effects on phytoplankton productivity and assemblages are likely to have important influences on the biogeochemical cycle of the region.     

Mesoscale eddies in the South China Sea and their impact on temperature profiles

Some life history statistics of the mesoscale eddies of the South China Sea (SCS) derived from altimetry data will be further discussed according their different formation periods.A total of three ATLAS (autonomous temperature line acquisition system)mooring buoys data will be analyzed to discuss eddies‘ impact on temperature profiles.They identify that the intraseasonal variation of SCS thermocline is partly controlled by mesoscale eddies.     

用于极地的中尺度大气模式Polar MM5的改进和检验

介绍了一个用于极地研究的中尺度大气模式———Polar MM5,阐述了该模式区别于标准的中尺度大气模式MM5的动力学和物理特征。利用Polar MM5获得了10 d的模拟结果表明,Polar MM5能较好地模拟高纬度地区近地面气象变量特征,尤其是对近地面温度和水汽混合比可得到高精度模拟结果,证实了在高纬度地区对标准MM5所进行的物理参数化方案的改进是切实有效的。