Free Surface Effects on the Near-Inertial Ocean Current Response to a Hurricane

Abstract

Abstract During the passage of hurricane Frederic in 1979, four ocean current meter arrays in water depths of 100–950 m detected both a baroclinic and a depth-independent response in the near-inertial frequency band. Although the oceanic response was predominately baroclinic, the hurricane excited a depth-independent component of 5–11 cm s−1. The origin and role of the depth-independent component of velocity is investigated using a linear analytical model and numerical simulations from a 17-level primitive equation model with a free surface. Both models are forced with an idealized wind stress pattern based on the observed storm parameters in hurricane Frederic. In an analytical model, the Green's function (K0) is convolved with the wind stress curl to predict a sea surface depression of approximately 20 cm from the equilibrium position. The near-inertial velocities are simulated by convolving the slope of the sea surface depression with a second Green's function. The barotropic current velocities rotate ...