I. Lebedev et al., Tropical ocean response to atmospheric forcing at kilometer scales with light precipitation, J GEO RES-O, 106(C6), 2001, pp. 11399-11410
The response of the oceanic mixed layer to atmospheric forcing during a 6 d
ay period of weakly precipitating tropical atmospheric convection is invest
igated. A simulation of a cloud-resolving model is used to provide ground l
evel fields of atmospheric variables that drive the upper ocean model. The
effect of kilometer scale oceanic variability on the area average air-sea h
eat flux is assessed and found negligible. Spatial wind variability is foun
d to be the dominant factor leading to temperature anomalies at the sea sur
face. A simple parameterization of this effect for weakly precipitating con
ditions is suggested.