GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel
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02.12.2024: Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics Colloquium
Dr. Mia Sophie Specht, MPI Meteorology Hamburg, Germany: "Seasonal Dynamics of Subsurface Shear Instabilities and Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions Driven by Tropical Instability Waves"
When? Monday 02 December 2024 at 11 am
Where? Room 14-101, Building 14, Wischofstr. 1-3 and
Zoom: https://geomar-de.zoom.us/j/84289388604?pwd=dGlpeTBUd1Nxem5Ec3dRYXh4NFpOUT09
Abstract:This talk explores the seasonal effects of Tropical Instability Waves (TIWs) on subsurface shear instabilities in the tropical Atlantic, based on high-resolution ICON-Ocean simulations. Our study shows that TIW-driven instabilities, reaching below the mixed layer and into the thermocline, follow a strong seasonal cycle—primarily occurring in boreal summer due to the combined influence of TIW-induced shear and background shear from the northern South Equatorial Current (nSEC). Beyond their impact within the ocean, TIWs also affect the overlying atmosphere. Analysis from high-resolution coupled simulations reveals that this influence extends not only to the boundary layer but also modifies its height and affects atmospheric dynamics above. These findings contribute to a more integrated understanding of how TIWs shape both oceanic shear instabilities and regional ocean-atmosphere interactions.
