Effect of mesoscale wind stress-SST coupling on the Kuroshio extension jet

Abstract

Effect of mesoscale wind stress-SST coupling on the Kuroshio extension jet is studied using the Regional Ocean Modeling System. The mesoscale wind stress perturbation (τMS) is diagnostically determined from modelled mesoscale SST perturbation (SSTMS) by using their empirical relationship derived from corresponding observation. From comparing two experiments with and without the τMS feedback, it is found that the interactively represented τMS-SSTMS coupling can modulate the kinetic energy along the Kuroshio extension jet, with little effect on the Kuroshio pathway. Similar results are also obtained in three additional sensitivity experiments, which consider half strength of the τMS, and the momentum flux and heat flux effect induced by τMS, respectively. That means simply taking into account the τMS-SSTMS coupling has little effect on improving the simulation of the Kuroshio Current system.