Impact of a Mixed Ocean Layer and the Diurnal Cycle on Convective Aggregation - Sorbonne Université
Journal Articles Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems Year : 2021

Impact of a Mixed Ocean Layer and the Diurnal Cycle on Convective Aggregation

Abstract

We investigate how ocean feedbacks and the diurnal cycle impact convective aggregation using a slab ocean coupled to a cloud resolving model. With a 20 m mixed layer ocean, aggregation occurs after 25 days. Thinner ocean layers slow the onset of clustering, with a 1 m ocean layer needing around 43 days. The delay is due to anomalous solar radiation in clear sky regions, causing a relative surface warming balanced by a matching cooling in cloudy areas. The resulting gradient in surface heat fluxes opposes low level convergence into convecting regions. On aggregation, the convective regions are surrounded by moist, clear sky regions with the hottest SSTs, toward which convection migrates, while a cold SST patch forms under dry suppressed regions due to enhanced latent heat fluxes and longwave radiation. The next experiment allows a diurnal cycle of 2.5°C in the domain mean SST. This causes convective rainfall to shift from a weak morning maximum to a sharper evening peak, reminiscent of undisturbed tropical observations. However, convection reverts to a weak early morning maximum once aggregation starts due to spatially heterogeneous radiative forcing. This implies thin mixed ocean layers are a necessary but non-sufficient condition for an afternoon maximum of convection; limited spatial water vapor variability is also necessary. The imposition of the mean diurnal cycle has no statistically significant impact on the mean timing of clustering onset.

Domains

Meteorology
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
J Adv Model Earth Syst - 2021 - Tompkins - Impact of a Mixed Ocean Layer and the Diurnal Cycle on Convective Aggregation.pdf (7.54 Mo) Télécharger le fichier
Origin Publication funded by an institution

Dates and versions

hal-03526083 , version 1 (14-01-2022)

Identifiers

Cite

Adrian M Tompkins, Addisu G Semie. Impact of a Mixed Ocean Layer and the Diurnal Cycle on Convective Aggregation. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 2021, 13 (12), ⟨10.1029/2020ms002186⟩. ⟨hal-03526083⟩
23 View
68 Download

Altmetric

Share

More