Impact of explosive cyclones on the deep ocean in the North Pacific using an eddy-resolving ocean general circulation model

Abstract

The oceanic response to explosive cyclones over the North Pacific in winter is investigated using eddy-resolving 34 year hindcast simulation of a quasi-global ocean. Its response appears as a horizontal divergence of the surface layer above 60 m depth and upward flow that reaches 2000 m depth. A case study of a typical explosive cyclone using hourly outputs from January 2011 shows that the explosive cyclone induces horizontal divergence within the surface-mixed layer and upward flow that reaches 6000 m depths. The flow causes oceanic internal waves and temperature cooling because of the vertical advection in the deep ocean. The interannual variability of explosive cyclone activity in January affects the amplitude of the vertical motion and the daily-scale temperature variations in the deep ocean.