The effect of Coriolis-Stokes forcing on upper ocean circulation in a two-way coupled wave-current model

• Published in: Chinese journal of oceanology and limnology Vol. 30; no. 2; pp. 321 - 335
• Main Author: 邓增安 谢立安 韩桂军 张学峰 吴克俭
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.03.2012; SP Science Press; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Coordinate systems; Coordinates; Coupling; Drift; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Eddies; Eddy currents; Energy; equations; Marine; Momentum; Momentum equation; monsoon season; Ocean circulation; Ocean currents; Ocean models; Ocean surface; Ocean-atmosphere interaction; Oceanography; Physics; Stokes方程; Surface currents; Upper ocean; Volume transport; Vorticity; Water circulation; water currents; Wave parameters; Wave power; wind; Wind power; Winds; 上层海洋; 海洋环流; 电流模型; 电流耦合; 科里奥利; 耦合波; 能量输入; ISEW, Pacific, Taiwan Strait; energy rate; coupled wave-current model; Coriolis-Stokes forcing (CSF); ocean circulation
• ISSN: 0254-4059; 2096-5508; 1993-5005; 2523-3521
• DOI: 10.1007/s00343-012-1069-z

We investigated the Stokes drift-driven ocean currents and Stokes drift-induced wind energy input into the upper ocean using a two-way coupled wave-current modeling system that consists of the Princeton Ocean Model generalized coordinate system (POMgcs), Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) wave model, and the Model Coupling Toolkit (MCT). The Coriolis-Stokes forcing (CSF) computed using the wave parameters from SWAN was incorporated with the momentum equation of POMgcs as the core coupling process. Experimental results in an idealized setting show that under the steady state, the scale of the speed of CSF-driven current was 0.001 m/s and the maximum reached 0.02 m/s. The Stokes drift-induced energy rate input into the model ocean was estimated to be 28.5 GW, taking 14% of the direct wind energy rate input. Considering the Stokes drift effects, the total mechanical energy rate input was increased by approximately 14%, which highlights the importance of CSF in modulating the upper ocean circulation. The actual run conducted in Taiwan Adjacent Sea (TAS) shows that: 1) CSF-based wave-current coupling has an impact on ocean surface currents, which is related to the activities of monsoon winds; 2) wave-current coupling plays a significant role in a place where strong eddies present and tends to intensify the eddy’s vorticity; 3) wave-current coupling affects the volume transport of the Taiwan Strait (TS) throughflow in a nontrivial degree, 3.75% on average.