An Improvement of the Too Cold Tongue in the Tropical Pacific with the Development of an Ocean-Wave-Atmosphere Coupled Numerical Model

The "cold tongue" bias in the tropical Pacific is a common error in coupled general circulation models (CGCMs). We developed an ocean-wave-atmosphere coupled model by introducing the wave-induced mixing effect into the ocean component. Simulation results show that the inclusion of wave mixing deepens the mixed layer and warms the sea surface in the cold tongue region, effectively reducing the cold bias. The interactions between the waves, ocean currents, and the atmosphere creates a feedback loop that maintains a more realistic tropical Pacific mean state compared to the model without wave coupling.

Progress in Natural Science