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Upper ocean response to tropical cyclone wind forcing: A case study of typhoon Rammasun (2008)

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Abstract

The characteristics of the upper ocean response to tropical cyclone wind (TCW) forcing in the northwestern Pacific were investigated using satellite and Argo data, as well as an ocean general circulation model. In particular, a case study was carried out on typhoon Rammasun, which passed through our study area during May 6–13, 2008. It is found that the local response right under the TCW forcing is characterized by a quick deepening of the surface mixed layer, a strong latent heat loss to the atmosphere, and an intense upwelling near the center of typhoon, leading to a cooling of the oceanic surface layer that persists as a cold wake along the typhoon track. More interestingly, the upper ocean response exhibits a four-layer thermal structure, including a cooling layer near the surface and a warming layer right below, accompanied by another pair of cooling/warming layers in the thermocline. The formation of the surface cooling/warming layers can be readily explained by the strong vertical mixing induced by TCW forcing, while the thermal response in the thermocline is probably a result of the cyclone-driven upwelling and the associated advective processes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Physical and Environmental Oceanography, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China

    YuHua Pei

  2. State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou, 310012, China

    YuHua Pei & DaKe Chen

  3. Key Laboratory of Ocean Circulation and Waves, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China

    RongHua Zhang

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  1. YuHua Pei
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  2. RongHua Zhang
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Correspondence to DaKe Chen.

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Pei, Y., Zhang, R. & Chen, D. Upper ocean response to tropical cyclone wind forcing: A case study of typhoon Rammasun (2008). Sci. China Earth Sci. 58, 1623–1632 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-015-5127-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-015-5127-1

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