HR: 08:45h
AN: OS41A-04    [Abstracts]
TI: On the Heat Budget in the Equatorial Pacific in the 1/4 of Degree OCCAM Simulation.
AU: * Huerta-Casas, A M
EM: Adriana.Huerta-Casas@awi.de
AF: Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bussestr. 24, Bremerhaven, 27570, Germany
AB: The use of ocean models is an essential tool to improve our knowledge of the different processes that occur in the ocean. I present a study focussed on developing a better understanding of the key physical processes affecting the heat balance in the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean. The approach I have adopted in this is to look in detail at the different heat flux contributions, in the Ocean Circulation and Climate Advanced Model (OCCAM). Using the model output, I analysed the strength of the equatorial circulation and looked into the importance of each term of the heat balance equation. I further evaluated the importance of each term of the advection scheme used in the model and analysed the Philander and Pacanowski (1981) vertical mixing scheme. Every five days the model archived an instantaneous value of the state of the ocean and a 5-day mean value. I made use of both outputs to make an estimate of the high frequency term, which in the context of my analysis represents physical processes not captured by the available model output.I carried out an analysis of the variations in time of the different processes that contribute to the vertical mixing close to the equator. One of the main findings was the presence of instability processes during the first half of the year with higher period than the Tropical Instability Waves in the eastern equatorial Pacific ocean.
DE: 4512 Currents
DE: 4532 General circulation (1218, 1222)
DE: 4572 Upper ocean and mixed layer processes
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly