Ocean Barrier Layers in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model

Reeves Eyre, J. E.  Jack; Van Roekel, Luke; Zeng, Xubin; Brunke, Michael A.; Golaz, Jean‐Christophe

doi:10.1029/2019GL083591

Title: Ocean Barrier Layers in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model

Journal Article · 20 June 2019 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083591 · OSTI ID:1557057

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Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Ocean barrier layers (BLs) separate the mixed layer from the top of the thermocline and are able to insulate the mixed layer from entrainment of cold thermocline water. In this work, we provide the first global BL assessment in E3SMv1 and two other Earth system models. Compared to observations, models reproduce the global distributions as semipermanent features in some tropical regions and seasonal features elsewhere. Yet, model BLs are generally too thin in tropical regions and too thick in higher latitudes. BLs' ability to insulate the ocean surface from entrainment of cold thermocline water is most apparent in the tropics. Along these lines, E3SMv1s BL thickness biases most affect entrainment here. Tropical BLT biases appear driven by atmosphere biases, mainly through the effect of precipitation minus evaporation on mixed layer depth. At higher latitudes BL thickness biases are dominated by thermocline depth errors related to ocean circulation and vertical mixing.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344; 89233218CNA000001; SC0016533

OSTI ID:: 1557057

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1545390; OSTI ID: 1558061

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-765557; LA-UR-19-20158; 955593

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 14; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 3 works

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