Coastal upwelling studies using a coupled ocean-atmosphere model

A fully coupled ocean-atmosphere modeling system is used to study summertime wind-driven coastal upwelling off Oregon. The coupled model combines the NRL COAMPS mesoscale atmospheric model and the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) primitive-equation ocean model. The ocean model is forced by atmospheric model wind stress and heat fluxes, including solar radiation, while the atmospheric model receives sea surface temperature (SST) from the ocean model. Idealized studies of the coupled coastal upwelling circulation are conducted in a two-dimensional setting, periodic in the north-south direction, with an eastern coastal wall and linear shelf slope, and with 1-km horizontal resolution in both models. Model results suggest that coastal upwelling develops more effectively in the coupled case than when the ocean model is driven with uncoupled atmospheric model wind stress. In the atmosphere, an internal boundary layer develops over the cold inshore waters during the coupled simulation.