An Energy-Diagnostics Intercomparison of Coupled Ice-Ocean Arctic Models

Monthly energetics of the Arctic Ocean are estimated based on results from four different coupled ice--ocean models. The models are from the participating institutes of the Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (AOMIP). The components of the kinetic, potential, available potential, and internal energies are studied. The models reveal general agreement on internal heat energy and the potential energy, but disagree apparently with the kinetic energy and the available potential energy. The differences over the external forcing and the grid configuration are the main sources of the disagreement. Models that applied river discharge produced high available potential energies near the river mouths. Available potential energy is connected to the kinetic energy via the conversion rate. The average rate was positive for the model which has a strong atmosphere-ocean energy exchange, but negative for the other models.