Numerical simulation of the wave-induced Stokes drift effect on sea surface temperature in the North Pacific

Abstract

Abstract The effect of the wave-induced Stokes drift is not taken into account in traditional ocean circulation models used for SST simulations. The spectral parameterization scheme is considered to be the most accurate of the wave-induced Stokes drift calculation schemes. The numerical simulation results of sea surface temperature (SST) with the Stokes drift and SST without the Stokes drift in the North Pacific in 2014 were analyzed. The Stokes drift plays a cooling role in the North Pacific, and the most affected areas are high-latitude sea areas. The following factors are responsible for cooling: the seawater divergence caused by Stokes transport, changes in the sea surface current field caused by the Coriolis-Stokes force and the effects of turbulence caused by Langmuir circulation. The simulation of the vertical temperature profile in the mixed layer is improved when the Stokes drift is accounted for. The simulated results of SST using the Stokes drift approximate parameterization schemes and the spectral parameterization scheme are compared. The results confirm that the spectral parameterization scheme can be used for accurate SST simulation, and the Phillips spectrum approximate parameterization scheme is the best among the approximate parameterization schemes.