Ocean submesoscale fronts induce diabatic heating and convective precipitation within storms
Abstract The intensity of atmospheric storms is influenced by ocean temperature contrasts. While mesoscale sea surface temperature anomalies ( ~ 200 km-size) are known to intensify storms via latent heat release, the role of finer oceanic scales remains unknown. Using a global coupled ocean-atmosphe...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02002-z |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832571236452925440 |
|---|---|
| author | Félix Vivant Lia Siegelman Patrice Klein Hector S. Torres Dimitris Menemenlis Andrea M. Molod |
| author_facet | Félix Vivant Lia Siegelman Patrice Klein Hector S. Torres Dimitris Menemenlis Andrea M. Molod |
| author_sort | Félix Vivant |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The intensity of atmospheric storms is influenced by ocean temperature contrasts. While mesoscale sea surface temperature anomalies ( ~ 200 km-size) are known to intensify storms via latent heat release, the role of finer oceanic scales remains unknown. Using a global coupled ocean-atmosphere simulation at a km-scale resolution, we show that half of latent heat flux variability is driven by oceanic motions at the meso- ( ~ 40%) and submesoscale ( ~ 10-20 km-size, < 10%) in the Kuroshio Extension during winter. Additionally, ocean submesoscale fronts, with temperature gradients of 5 °C per 10 km, induce a secondary circulation reaching 4 km within the troposphere, which enhances diabatic processes and convective precipitations within storms. In the warm sector of storms, ocean submesoscale fronts locally account for half the total precipitations, averaging 14 mm day−1 over five days. As such, ocean submesoscale fronts pump moisture from the ocean to the atmosphere and have the potential to affect storm intensification. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5f5581e70a894f958922716aa4800ad6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-5f5581e70a894f958922716aa4800ad62025-02-02T12:44:02ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-01-016111210.1038/s43247-025-02002-zOcean submesoscale fronts induce diabatic heating and convective precipitation within stormsFélix Vivant0Lia Siegelman1Patrice Klein2Hector S. Torres3Dimitris Menemenlis4Andrea M. Molod5Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San DiegoScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San DiegoLMD-IPSL, ENS, PSL Université, Ecole Polytechnique, IP Paris, Sorbonne Université, CNRSJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of TechnologyJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of TechnologyNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterAbstract The intensity of atmospheric storms is influenced by ocean temperature contrasts. While mesoscale sea surface temperature anomalies ( ~ 200 km-size) are known to intensify storms via latent heat release, the role of finer oceanic scales remains unknown. Using a global coupled ocean-atmosphere simulation at a km-scale resolution, we show that half of latent heat flux variability is driven by oceanic motions at the meso- ( ~ 40%) and submesoscale ( ~ 10-20 km-size, < 10%) in the Kuroshio Extension during winter. Additionally, ocean submesoscale fronts, with temperature gradients of 5 °C per 10 km, induce a secondary circulation reaching 4 km within the troposphere, which enhances diabatic processes and convective precipitations within storms. In the warm sector of storms, ocean submesoscale fronts locally account for half the total precipitations, averaging 14 mm day−1 over five days. As such, ocean submesoscale fronts pump moisture from the ocean to the atmosphere and have the potential to affect storm intensification.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02002-z |
| spellingShingle | Félix Vivant Lia Siegelman Patrice Klein Hector S. Torres Dimitris Menemenlis Andrea M. Molod Ocean submesoscale fronts induce diabatic heating and convective precipitation within storms Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Ocean submesoscale fronts induce diabatic heating and convective precipitation within storms |
| title_full | Ocean submesoscale fronts induce diabatic heating and convective precipitation within storms |
| title_fullStr | Ocean submesoscale fronts induce diabatic heating and convective precipitation within storms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ocean submesoscale fronts induce diabatic heating and convective precipitation within storms |
| title_short | Ocean submesoscale fronts induce diabatic heating and convective precipitation within storms |
| title_sort | ocean submesoscale fronts induce diabatic heating and convective precipitation within storms |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02002-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT felixvivant oceansubmesoscalefrontsinducediabaticheatingandconvectiveprecipitationwithinstorms AT liasiegelman oceansubmesoscalefrontsinducediabaticheatingandconvectiveprecipitationwithinstorms AT patriceklein oceansubmesoscalefrontsinducediabaticheatingandconvectiveprecipitationwithinstorms AT hectorstorres oceansubmesoscalefrontsinducediabaticheatingandconvectiveprecipitationwithinstorms AT dimitrismenemenlis oceansubmesoscalefrontsinducediabaticheatingandconvectiveprecipitationwithinstorms AT andreammolod oceansubmesoscalefrontsinducediabaticheatingandconvectiveprecipitationwithinstorms |