Response of Sea Surface Heat Flux to the Kuroshio Extension Ocean Front for Different Background Wind Fields

Abstract

Zhang, J.; Li, C., and Luo, X., 2020. Response of sea surface heat flux to the Kuroshio Extension ocean front for different background wind fields. In: Zheng, C.W.; Wang, Q.; Zhan, C., and Yang, S.B. (eds.), Air-Sea Interaction and Coastal Environments of the Maritime and Polar Silk Roads. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 99, pp. 332–339. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The different sensible heat fluxes across KEF (Kuroshio Extension front) is the main reason for the formation of baroclinicity in lower atmosphere in northwest Pacific. In this study, several sets of numerical experiments are performed to study the similarities and differences in sensible in lower atmosphere and their causes for a given intensity and location of KEF but for different background wind fields. The results show that under the influence of winter wind field, the effects of the perturbed air–sea temperature difference and the perturbed friction velocity make obvious positive contributions to the difference in heat flux across the KEF, and play a certain role in maintaining the baroclinicity in the lower atmosphere. In contrast, advection of the air–sea temperature anomaly by the perturbed friction velocity weakens the difference in heat flux across the KEF, which can significantly weaken the baroclinicity in the lower atmosphere. Under the influence of summer wind field, the perturbed surface wind reduces the difference in heat flux across KEF, which weakens the baroclinicity. The effects of the perturbed air–sea temperature difference and the advection of the perturbed air–sea temperature anomaly by the perturbed friction velocity make positive contributions to the difference in heat flux on both sides of the KEF, which effectively maintains baroclinicity in the lower atmosphere. However, the perturbed friction velocity weakens the difference in heat flux across the KEF, which significantly weakens the baroclinicity in the lower atmosphere.