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Ocean submesoscales as a key component of the global heat budget

Author

Listed:
  • Zhan Su

    (California Institute of Technology
    California Institute of Technology)

  • Jinbo Wang

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Patrice Klein

    (California Institute of Technology
    California Institute of Technology
    Laboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale)

  • Andrew F. Thompson

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Dimitris Menemenlis

    (California Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Recent studies highlight that oceanic motions associated with horizontal scales smaller than 50 km, defined here as submesoscales, lead to anomalous vertical heat fluxes from colder to warmer waters. This unique transport property is not captured in climate models that have insufficient resolution to simulate these submesoscale dynamics. Here, we use an ocean model with an unprecedented resolution that, for the first time, globally resolves submesoscale heat transport. Upper-ocean submesoscale turbulence produces a systematically-upward heat transport that is five times larger than mesoscale heat transport, with winter-time averages up to 100 W/m2 for mid-latitudes. Compared to a lower-resolution model, submesoscale heat transport warms the sea surface up to 0.3 °C and produces an upward annual-mean air–sea heat flux anomaly of 4–10 W/m2 at mid-latitudes. These results indicate that submesoscale dynamics are critical to the transport of heat between the ocean interior and the atmosphere, and are thus a key component of the Earth’s climate.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhan Su & Jinbo Wang & Patrice Klein & Andrew F. Thompson & Dimitris Menemenlis, 2018. "Ocean submesoscales as a key component of the global heat budget," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-02983-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-02983-w
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhiwei Zhang & Yuelin Liu & Bo Qiu & Yiyong Luo & Wenju Cai & Qingguo Yuan & Yinxing Liu & Hong Zhang & Hailong Liu & Mingfang Miao & Jinchao Zhang & Wei Zhao & Jiwei Tian, 2023. "Submesoscale inverse energy cascade enhances Southern Ocean eddy heat transport," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.

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