Diagnosis of the surface momentum balance over the tropical Pacific Ocean
- Cooperative Inst. for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, CO (United States)
The suitability of using linear drag as a proxy for surface friction in the observed climatological-mean momentum balance over the tropical Pacific Ocean is evaluated. Climatological seasonal-mean fields of sea level pressure and surface wind from the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set are used to calculate the pressure gradient, Coriolis, and acceleration terms in the momentum budget; friction is derived as a residual. It is found that when friction is parameterized as a linear dissipation of kinetic energy, the damping time scale for the meridional wind is about 2-3 times faster than the damping time for the zonal wind. It is suggested that the different damping coefficients for the zonal and meridional winds are, in part, a reflection of the different vertical profiles of u and v in the planetary boundary layer. 18 refs.
- OSTI ID:
- 6459268
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Climate; (United States), Vol. 6:1; ISSN 0894-8755
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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