Variability in coastal downwelling circulation in response to high-resolution regional atmospheric forcing off the Pearl River estuary

• Published in: Ocean science Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 1107 - 1121
• Main Authors: Lai, Wenfeng, Gan, Jianping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 19.07.2023; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Advection; Air temperature; Analysis; Atmospheric circulation; Atmospheric forcing; Atmospheric models; Boundary conditions; Circulation; Coastal circulation; Coastal dynamics; Coastal structures; Downwelling; Estuaries; Estuarine dynamics; Heat; High resolution; Isobaths; Momentum; Ocean circulation; Ocean currents; Ocean models; Oceans; Pressure gradients; Relative vorticity; Rivers; Sea surface; Sea surface temperature; Simulation; Surface temperature; Surface wind; Temporal variability; Temporal variations; Topography; Transport; Variability; Vorticity; Water exchange; Weather; Wind; China
• ISSN: 1812-0792; 1812-0784; 1812-0792
• DOI: 10.5194/os-19-1107-2023

We investigated the variabilities in coastal circulation and dynamics in response to spatiotemporally variable high-resolution atmospheric forcing off the Pearl River estuary during the downwelling wind. Our investigation focused on the dynamics of coastal downwelling circulation in response to variable atmospheric forcing of (1) single-station observation, (2) global reanalysis data, and (3) a high-resolution regional atmospheric model. We found that the high-resolution atmospheric model significantly improved the representations of the near-surface wind and air temperature, and the ocean model driven by the high-resolution and spatially variable atmospheric forcing improved the circulation and associated hydrographic properties in the coastal ocean. Momentum and vorticity analyses further revealed that the cross-isobath water exchange was primarily governed by the along-isobath pressure gradient force (PGF), which was influenced by different components of the atmospheric forcing. The spatial–temporal variability in high-resolution wind forcing determined the strength and structure of coastal circulation and improved estimates of cross-isobath transport and the associated PGF by refining the net stress curl and nonlinear advection of relative vorticity in the simulation. The high-resolution heat forcing can greatly improve the sea surface temperature simulation and adjust the nonlinear advection of relative vorticity, resulting in changes in cross-isobath transport.