PHY-06 Oceanic Internal Waves
Modified parameterization for near-inertial waves
Weiqi Hong* , South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lei Zhou, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Xiaohui Xie, State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources
Han Zhang, State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources
Changrong Liang, State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The near-inertial waves (NIWs) are important for energy cascade in the ocean. They are usually significantly reinforced by strong winds, such as typhoon. Due to relatively coarse resolutions in contemporary climate models, NIWs and associated ocean mixing need to be parameterized. Jochum proposed a parameterization for NIWs in 2013 (J13 scheme), which has been widely used. In this study, this parameterization is compared with the observations in the South China Sea, and the observations are treated as model outputs. Under normal conditions, the J13 scheme performs well. However, there are noticeable discrepancies between the J13 scheme and observations during typhoon. During Typhoon Kalmaegi in 2014, the inferred value of the boundary layer is deeper in the J13 scheme due to the weak near-inertial velocity shear in the vertical. After typhoon, the spreading of NIWs beneath the upper boundary layer is much faster than the theoretical prediction of inertial gravity waves, and this fast process is not rendered well by the J13 scheme. In addition, below the boundary layer, NIWs and associated diapycnal mixing last longer than the direct impacts of typhoon on the sea surface. Since the energy dissipation and diapycnal mixing below the boundary layer are bounded to the surface winds in the J13 scheme, the prolonged influences of typhoon via NIWs in the ocean interior are missing in this scheme. Based on current examination, modifications to the J13 scheme are proposed, and the modified version can reduce the discrepancies in the temporal and vertical structures of diapycnal mixing.