Effects of Mid‐Latitude Oceanic Fronts on the Middle Atmosphere Through Upward Propagating Atmospheric Waves

Abstract

Abstract The impact of mid‐latitude oceanic frontal zones with sharp meridional sea‐surface temperature (SST) gradients on the middle atmosphere circulation during austral winter is investigated by comparing two idealized experiments with a high‐top gravity wave (GW) permitting general circulation model. Control run is performed with realistic frontal SST gradients, which are artificially smoothed in no‐front run. The control run simulates active baroclinic waves and GW generation around the mid‐latitude SST front, with GWs propagating into the stratosphere and mesosphere. In the no‐front run, by contrast, baroclinic‐wave activity is significantly suppressed, and GWs with smaller amplitude are excited and then dissipated at higher altitudes in the mesosphere. Westward wave forcing in the winter hemisphere was more pronounced in the control run up to ∼0.03 hPa, resulting in a more realistic reproduction of the middle atmospheric polar vortex. The results demonstrate the importance of realistic mid‐latitude ocean conditions for simulating the middle atmosphere circulation.

Keywords

• middle atmosphere
• gravity wave
• oceanic front
• general circulation
• climate model