Influence of small-scale North Atlantic sea surface temperature patterns on the marine boundary layer and free troposphere: a study using the atmospheric ARPEGE model

Abstract

A high-resolution global atmospheric model is used to investigate the influence of the representation of small-scale North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) patterns on the atmosphere during boreal winter. Two ensembles of forced simulations are performed and compared. In the first ensemble (HRES), the full spatial resolution of the SST is maintained while small-scale features are smoothed out in the Gulf Stream region for the second ensemble (SMTH). The model shows a reasonable climatology in term of large-scale circulation and air–sea interaction coefficient when compared to reanalyses and satellite observations, respectively. The impact of small-scale SST patterns as depicted by differences between HRES and SMTH shows a strong meso-scale local mean response in terms of surface heat fluxes, convective precipitation, and to a lesser extent cloudiness. The main mechanism behind these statistical differences is that of a simple hydrostatic pressure adjustment related to increased SST and marine atmospheric boundary layer temperature gradient along the North Atlantic SST front. The model response to small-scale SST patterns also includes remote large-scale effects: upper tropospheric winds show a decrease downstream of the eddy-driven jet maxima over the central North Atlantic, while the subtropical jet exhibits a significant northward shift in particular over the eastern Mediterranean region. Significant changes are simulated in regard to the North Atlantic storm track, such as a southward shift of the storm density off the coast of North America towards the maximum SST gradient. A storm density decrease is also depicted over Greenland and the Nordic seas while a significant increase is seen over the northern part of the Mediterranean basin. Changes in Rossby wave breaking frequencies and weather regimes spatial patterns are shown to be associated to the jets and storm track changes.