17C.1
Real-Time Simulation of Hurricane Inner-Core Ocean Cooling as a Gauge for Intensity Change
Eric W. Uhlhorn, NOAA/AOML/HRD, Miami, FL; and J. J. Cione
Motivated by recent findings that upper ocean cooling in response to hurricane forcing may be coupled to storm intensity changes, we attempt to simulate this response using three different schemes. The bulk mixed-layer model of Krauss and Turner (1967) predicts cooling/deepening from the budgets of turbulent heat exchange at the top and bottom of the mixed-layer. Pollard et. al (1973) describe the evolution of the upper ocean as a balance between momentum/heat fluxes at the sea-surface and the competing processes of shear production and buoyancy destruction of turbulent kinetic energy at the mixed-layer base. We compare these formulations with a Mellor-Yamada level 2.5 type turbulence closure scheme which retains all physics represented in the bulk formulations and additionally includes the effects of dissipation of TKE which becomes especially important in the high-wind inner core where surface wave processes play a significant role in the momemtum balance. We present model output after applying various surface boundary conditions using idealized and observed initial conditions.
Session 17C, Tropical Cyclone Air-Sea Interaction IV (Parallel with Sessions 17A and 17B)
Friday, 3 May 2002, 11:00 AM-12:30 PM
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