Observed three‐dimensional structure of ocean cooling induced by Pacific tropical cyclones

Abstract Sea surface cooling along tropical cyclone (TC) tracks has been well observed, but a complete understanding of the full three‐dimensional structure of upper ocean TC‐induced cooling is still needed. In this study, observed ocean temperature profiles derived from Argo floats and TC statistic...

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Main Authors: Guihua Wang, Lingwei Wu, Nathaniel C. Johnson, Zheng Ling
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-07-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069605
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author Guihua Wang
Lingwei Wu
Nathaniel C. Johnson
Zheng Ling
author_facet Guihua Wang
Lingwei Wu
Nathaniel C. Johnson
Zheng Ling
author_sort Guihua Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Sea surface cooling along tropical cyclone (TC) tracks has been well observed, but a complete understanding of the full three‐dimensional structure of upper ocean TC‐induced cooling is still needed. In this study, observed ocean temperature profiles derived from Argo floats and TC statistics from 1996 to 2012 are used to determine the three‐dimensional structure of TC‐induced cooling over the northwest Pacific. The average TC‐induced sea surface temperature change derived from Argo reaches −1.4°C, which agrees well with satellite‐derived estimates. The Argo profiles further reveal that this cooling can extend to a depth of ~30 m and can persist for about 20 days. The time scale of cooling recovery is somewhat longer in subsurface layers between a depth of ~10–15 m. Over the ocean domain where the mixed layer is shallower (deeper), the cooling is stronger (weaker), shallower (deeper), and more (less) persistent. The effect of initial MLD on the cooling derived from Argo observations may be only half of the idealized piecewise continuous model of tropical cyclone. These findings have implications for the total upper ocean heat content change induced by northwest Pacific TCs.
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spelling doaj-art-80e8db7f0dce457e9b142625aef4a56b2025-08-20T01:51:54ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-07-0143147632763810.1002/2016GL069605Observed three‐dimensional structure of ocean cooling induced by Pacific tropical cyclonesGuihua Wang0Lingwei Wu1Nathaniel C. Johnson2Zheng Ling3Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Environmental Science and Enginnering Fudan University Shanghai ChinaState Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography State Oceanic Administration Hangzhou ChinaCooperative Institute for Climate Science Princeton University Princeton New Jersey USAState Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography State Oceanic Administration Hangzhou ChinaAbstract Sea surface cooling along tropical cyclone (TC) tracks has been well observed, but a complete understanding of the full three‐dimensional structure of upper ocean TC‐induced cooling is still needed. In this study, observed ocean temperature profiles derived from Argo floats and TC statistics from 1996 to 2012 are used to determine the three‐dimensional structure of TC‐induced cooling over the northwest Pacific. The average TC‐induced sea surface temperature change derived from Argo reaches −1.4°C, which agrees well with satellite‐derived estimates. The Argo profiles further reveal that this cooling can extend to a depth of ~30 m and can persist for about 20 days. The time scale of cooling recovery is somewhat longer in subsurface layers between a depth of ~10–15 m. Over the ocean domain where the mixed layer is shallower (deeper), the cooling is stronger (weaker), shallower (deeper), and more (less) persistent. The effect of initial MLD on the cooling derived from Argo observations may be only half of the idealized piecewise continuous model of tropical cyclone. These findings have implications for the total upper ocean heat content change induced by northwest Pacific TCs.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069605tropical cycloneArgoocean cooling
spellingShingle Guihua Wang
Lingwei Wu
Nathaniel C. Johnson
Zheng Ling
Observed three‐dimensional structure of ocean cooling induced by Pacific tropical cyclones
Geophysical Research Letters
tropical cyclone
Argo
ocean cooling
title Observed three‐dimensional structure of ocean cooling induced by Pacific tropical cyclones
title_full Observed three‐dimensional structure of ocean cooling induced by Pacific tropical cyclones
title_fullStr Observed three‐dimensional structure of ocean cooling induced by Pacific tropical cyclones
title_full_unstemmed Observed three‐dimensional structure of ocean cooling induced by Pacific tropical cyclones
title_short Observed three‐dimensional structure of ocean cooling induced by Pacific tropical cyclones
title_sort observed three dimensional structure of ocean cooling induced by pacific tropical cyclones
topic tropical cyclone
Argo
ocean cooling
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069605
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AT lingweiwu observedthreedimensionalstructureofoceancoolinginducedbypacifictropicalcyclones
AT nathanielcjohnson observedthreedimensionalstructureofoceancoolinginducedbypacifictropicalcyclones
AT zhengling observedthreedimensionalstructureofoceancoolinginducedbypacifictropicalcyclones