Vertical Mixing in the Ocean and Its Impact on the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere System in the Eastern Tropical Pacific*

Abstract

Abstract The zonal and meridional asymmetries in the eastern tropical Pacific (the eastern equatorial cold tongue and the northern intertropical convergence zone) are key aspects of the region that are strongly influenced by ocean–atmosphere interactions. Here the authors investigate the impact of vertical mixing in the ocean on these asymmetries, employing a coupled ocean–atmosphere regional model. Results highlight the need to study the impact of processes such as vertical mixing in the context of the coupled system. Changes to the vertical mixing in the ocean are found to produce large changes in the state of the system, which include changes to the surface properties of the ocean, the ocean currents, the surface wind field, and clouds and precipitation in the atmosphere. Much of the strength of the impact is through interactions between the ocean and atmosphere. Increasing ocean mixing has an opposite effect on the zonal and meridional asymmetries. The zonal asymmetry is increased (i.e., a colder eastern equatorial cold tongue and increased easterly winds), whereas the meridional asymmetry is decreased (a reduced north–south temperature difference and reduced southerlies), with the impact being enhanced by the Bjerknes and wind–evaporation–sea surface temperature feedbacks. Water mass transformations are analyzed by consideration of the diapynic fluxes. Although the general character of the diapycnic transport remains relatively unchanged with a change in ocean mixing, there are changes to the magnitude and location of the transport in density space. Oceanic vertical mixing impacts the balance of terms contributing to the heating of the ocean surface mixed layer. With reduced mixing the advection of heat plays an increased role in areas such as the far eastern tropical Pacific and under the intertropical convergence zone.