Midlatitude mesoscale thermal Air-sea interaction enhanced by greenhouse warming

Xiaohui Ma, Xingzhi Zhang (), Lixin Wu, Zhili Tang, Peiran Yang, Fengfei Song, Zhao Jing, Hui Chen, Yushan Qu, Man Yuan, Zhaohui Chen and Bolan Gan
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Xiaohui Ma: Ocean University of China
Xingzhi Zhang: Laoshan Laboratory
Lixin Wu: Ocean University of China
Zhili Tang: Ocean University of China
Peiran Yang: Laoshan Laboratory
Fengfei Song: Ocean University of China
Zhao Jing: Ocean University of China
Hui Chen: Ocean University of China
Yushan Qu: Ocean University of China
Man Yuan: Ocean University of China
Zhaohui Chen: Ocean University of China
Bolan Gan: Ocean University of China

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The influence of greenhouse warming on mesoscale air-sea interactions, crucial for modulating ocean circulation and climate variability, remains largely unexplored due to the limited resolution of current climate models. Additionally, there is a lack of theoretical frameworks for assessing changes in mesoscale coupling due to warming. Here, we address these gaps by analyzing eddy-resolving high-resolution climate simulations and observations, focusing on the mesoscale thermal interaction dominated by mesoscale sea surface temperature (SST) and latent heat flux (LHF) coupling in winter. Our findings reveal a consistent increase in mesoscale SST-LHF coupling in the major western boundary current regions under warming, characterized by a heightened nonlinearity between warm and cold eddies and a more pronounced enhancement in the northern hemisphere. To understand the dynamics, we develop a theoretical framework that links mesoscale thermal coupling changes to large-scale factors, which indicates that the projected changes are collectively determined by historical background wind, SST, and the rate of SST warming. Among these factors, the large-scale SST and its warming rate are the primary drivers of hemispheric asymmetry in mesoscale coupling intensification. This study introduces a simplified approach for assessing the projected mesoscale thermal coupling changes in a warming world.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52077-z

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