Distribution and Trend of Wind Power Input to Near‐Inertial Motions in the Southern Ocean

Abstract

Abstract Wind power input to near‐inertial motions is an important energy source for generating diapycnal mixing in the ocean. However, the distribution and long‐term trend of this input over the Southern Ocean have yet to be quantified. In this study, we investigate the near‐inertial wind power input (WPIi) to the Southern Ocean using a global eddy‐permitting coupled ocean‐sea ice model forced by a high‐resolution atmospheric reanalysis product. Our results reveal a zonally asymmetric distribution of WPIi in the Southern Ocean, with the strongest input in the South Indian Ocean and the weakest in the South Pacific. The integrated WPIi between 30°S and 60°S exhibits a significant positive trend over the past four decades due to the intensification of mesoscale weather systems. The surface mixed‐layer depth is found to modulate the spatial pattern and trend of WPIi by altering the surface near‐inertial currents.