Observations Reveal Intense Air‐Sea Exchanges Over Submesoscale Ocean Front

Haiyuan Yang; Zhaohui Chen; Shantong Sun; Mingkui Li; Wenju Cai; Lixin Wu; Jinzhuo Cai; Bingrong Sun; Ke Ma; Xiaohui Ma; Zhao Jing; Bolan Gan

doi:10.1029/2023gl106840

Geophysical Research Letters (Jan 2024)

Observations Reveal Intense Air‐Sea Exchanges Over Submesoscale Ocean Front

Haiyuan Yang,
Zhaohui Chen,
Shantong Sun,
Mingkui Li,
Wenju Cai,
Lixin Wu,
Jinzhuo Cai,
Bingrong Sun,
Ke Ma,
Xiaohui Ma,
Zhao Jing,
Bolan Gan

Affiliations

Haiyuan Yang: Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multi‐spheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory Ocean University of China Qingdao China
Zhaohui Chen: Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multi‐spheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory Ocean University of China Qingdao China
Shantong Sun: Laoshan Laboratory Qingdao China
Mingkui Li: Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multi‐spheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory Ocean University of China Qingdao China
Wenju Cai: Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multi‐spheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory Ocean University of China Qingdao China
Lixin Wu: Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multi‐spheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory Ocean University of China Qingdao China
Jinzhuo Cai: Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multi‐spheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory Ocean University of China Qingdao China
Bingrong Sun: Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multi‐spheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory Ocean University of China Qingdao China
Ke Ma: Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multi‐spheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory Ocean University of China Qingdao China
Xiaohui Ma: Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multi‐spheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory Ocean University of China Qingdao China
Zhao Jing: Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multi‐spheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory Ocean University of China Qingdao China
Bolan Gan: Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multi‐spheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory Ocean University of China Qingdao China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl106840
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 51, no. 2
pp. n/a – n/a

Abstract

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Abstract Air‐sea exchanges across oceanic fronts are critical in powering cloud formation, precipitation, and atmospheric storms. Oceanic submesoscale fronts of scales 1–10 km are characterized by strong sea surface temperature (SST) gradients. However, it remains elusive how submesoscale fronts affect the overlying atmosphere due to a lack of high‐resolution observations or models. Based on rare high‐resolution in situ observations in the Kuroshio Extension region, we quantify the air‐sea exchanges across an oceanic submesoscale front. The cross‐front SST and turbulent heat flux gradients reaches 2.4°C/km and 47 W/m2/km, respectively, far stronger than that typically found in mesoscale‐resolving products. The stronger SST gradient drives substantially stronger air‐sea fluxes and vertical mixing than mesoscale fronts, enhancing cloud formations. The intense air‐sea exchanges across submesoscale fronts are confirmed in idealized model simulations, but not resolved in mesoscale‐resolving climate models. Our finding provides essential knowledge for improving simulations of cloud formation, precipitation, and storms in climate models.

Published in Geophysical Research Letters

ISSN: 0094-8276 (Print); 1944-8007 (Online)
Publisher: Wiley
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science: Physics: Geophysics. Cosmic physics
Website: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007

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