Numerical study of the effects of wave-induced forcing on dynamics in ocean mixed layer

Abstract

Numerical experiments using hybrid coordinate ocean model (HYCOM) are designed to quantify the effects of wind wave-induced Coriolis-Stokes forcing (CSF) on mixed layer (ML) dynamics in a global context. CSF calculated by the wave parameters simulated by using the WaveWatch III (WW3) model is introduced as a new driving force for HYCOM. The results show that noticeable influence on ocean circulation in ML can be caused by CSF. Over most of the global oceans the direction of Stokes transport is different from that of the change in current transport caused by CSF. This is not unusual because CSF is normal to Stokes drift. However, the CSF-caused change in current transport and the wave-induced Stokes transport have the same magnitude. The seasonal variabilities of mixed layer temperature (MLT) and mixed layer depth (MLD) caused by CSF are analyzed, and the possible relationship between them is also given. © 2013 Zengan Deng et al.