| Abstract |
We utilize ocean 10‐m wind speed (U 10m ) from the microwave Multi‐sensor Advanced Climatology data set to examine the coupling between convective cloud and precipitation processes, synoptic state, and U 10m and to evaluate the representation of U 10m in global climate models (GCMs). We find that midlatitude U 10m is underestimated by GCMs relative to observations. We examine two potential mechanisms to explain this model behavior: cold pool formation in cold air outbreaks (CAOs) associated with downdrafts that enhance U 10m and sea surface temperature (SST) gradients affecting U 10m through thermally forced surface winds at regional scales. When the effects of the CAO index ( M ) and SST gradients on U 10m are accounted for, a relationship between GCM horizontal resolution and U 10m appears. The strongest correlation between resolution and U 10m is over the western boundary currents characterized by frequent CAOs atop strong SST gradients which drives the strongest surface fluxes on Earth. |
| Authors |
Geethma Werapitiya   , Daniel T. McCoy , Gregory S. Elsaesser , Paul R. Field , Stefan Rahimi
|
| Journal Info |
American Geophysical Union | Geophysical Research Letters , vol: 51
, iss: 13
|
| Publication Date |
6/29/2024 |
| ISSN |
0094-8276 |
Type |
article |
| Open Access |
gold
|
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gl108512 |
| Keywords |
Middle latitudes (Score: 0.71523464)
|
