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Midlatitude mesoscale thermal Air-sea interaction enhanced by greenhouse warming

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaohui Ma

    (Ocean University of China
    Laoshan Laboratory)

  • Xingzhi Zhang

    (Laoshan Laboratory)

  • Lixin Wu

    (Ocean University of China
    Laoshan Laboratory)

  • Zhili Tang

    (Ocean University of China)

  • Peiran Yang

    (Laoshan Laboratory)

  • Fengfei Song

    (Ocean University of China
    Laoshan Laboratory)

  • Zhao Jing

    (Ocean University of China
    Laoshan Laboratory)

  • Hui Chen

    (Ocean University of China)

  • Yushan Qu

    (Ocean University of China)

  • Man Yuan

    (Ocean University of China)

  • Zhaohui Chen

    (Ocean University of China
    Laoshan Laboratory)

  • Bolan Gan

    (Ocean University of China
    Laoshan Laboratory)

Abstract

The influence of greenhouse warming on mesoscale air-sea interactions, crucial for modulating ocean circulation and climate variability, remains largely unexplored due to the limited resolution of current climate models. Additionally, there is a lack of theoretical frameworks for assessing changes in mesoscale coupling due to warming. Here, we address these gaps by analyzing eddy-resolving high-resolution climate simulations and observations, focusing on the mesoscale thermal interaction dominated by mesoscale sea surface temperature (SST) and latent heat flux (LHF) coupling in winter. Our findings reveal a consistent increase in mesoscale SST-LHF coupling in the major western boundary current regions under warming, characterized by a heightened nonlinearity between warm and cold eddies and a more pronounced enhancement in the northern hemisphere. To understand the dynamics, we develop a theoretical framework that links mesoscale thermal coupling changes to large-scale factors, which indicates that the projected changes are collectively determined by historical background wind, SST, and the rate of SST warming. Among these factors, the large-scale SST and its warming rate are the primary drivers of hemispheric asymmetry in mesoscale coupling intensification. This study introduces a simplified approach for assessing the projected mesoscale thermal coupling changes in a warming world.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaohui Ma & Xingzhi Zhang & Lixin Wu & Zhili Tang & Peiran Yang & Fengfei Song & Zhao Jing & Hui Chen & Yushan Qu & Man Yuan & Zhaohui Chen & Bolan Gan, 2024. "Midlatitude mesoscale thermal Air-sea interaction enhanced by greenhouse warming," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-52077-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52077-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xue Liu & Xiaohui Ma & Ping Chang & Yinglai Jia & Dan Fu & Guangzhi Xu & Lixin Wu & R. Saravanan & Christina M. Patricola, 2021. "Ocean fronts and eddies force atmospheric rivers and heavy precipitation in western North America," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Nathan Beech & Thomas Rackow & Tido Semmler & Sergey Danilov & Qiang Wang & Thomas Jung, 2022. "Long-term evolution of ocean eddy activity in a warming world," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(10), pages 910-917, October.
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