NeverWorld2: an idealized model hierarchy to investigate ocean mesoscale eddies across resolutions
Journal
Geoscientific Model Development
Journal Volume
15
Journal Issue
17
Start Page
6567
End Page
6579
ISSN
1991-9603
Date Issued
2022-09-01
Author(s)
Marques, Gustavo M.
Loose, Nora
Yankovsky, Elizabeth
Steinberg, Jacob M.
Bhamidipati, Neeraja
Adcroft, Alistair
Fox-Kemper, Baylor
Griffies, Stephen M.
Hallberg, Robert W.
Jansen, Malte F.
Khatri, Hemant
Zanna, Laure
Abstract
We describe an idealized primitive-equation model for studying mesoscale turbulence and leverage a hierarchy of grid resolutions to make eddy-resolving calculations on the finest grids more affordable. The model has intermediate complexity, incorporating basin-scale geometry with idealized Atlantic and Southern oceans and with non-uniform ocean depth to allow for mesoscale eddy interactions with topography. The model is perfectly adiabatic and spans the Equator and thus fills a gap between quasi-geostrophic models, which cannot span two hemispheres, and idealized general circulation models, which generally include diabatic processes and buoyancy forcing. We show that the model solution is approaching convergence in mean kinetic energy for the ocean mesoscale processes of interest and has a rich range of dynamics with circulation features that emerge only due to resolving mesoscale turbulence.
Subjects
Atlantic Ocean
Southern Ocean
buoyancy forcing
general circulation model
mesoscale eddy
quasi-geostrophic flow
turbulence
Publisher
Copernicus GmbH
Type
journal article