Examination of the mixed layer deepening process during convection using LES

Abstract

Analysis of large-eddy simulation data of the ocean mixed layer under convection reveals that the contribution from wind stress decreases with time as a result of inertial oscillation in the extratropical ocean and that it leads to a rapid increase of the bulk and gradient Richardson number at the mixed layer depth. The criteria for the mixed layer deepening in the widely used mixed layer models, such as the Niiler–Kraus (NK) model, the Price–Weller–Pinkel (PWP) model, and the K-profile parameterization (KPP) model, are examined in view of these results, and its implication on the model predictability is discussed. Copyright 2010 American Meteorological Society