Mesoscale Eddy Parameterization in an Idealized Primitive Equations Model

Large-scale ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio Extension are strongly influenced by mesoscale eddies, which have spatial scales of order 10-100 km. The effects of these eddies are poorly represented in many state-of-the-art ocean general circulation models (GCMs) due to the inadequate spatial resolution of these models. In this study we examine the response of the large-scale ocean circulation to the rectified effects of eddy forcing - i.e., the role played by surface-intensified mesoscale eddies in sustaining and modulating an eastward jet that separates from an intense western boundary current (WBC). For this purpose a primitive equations ocean model (the MITgcm) in an idealized wind-forced double-gyre configuration is integrated at eddy-resolving resolution to reach a forced-dissipative equilibrium state that captures the essential dynamics of WBC-extension jets. The rectified eddy forcing is diagnosed as a stochastic function of the large-scale state, this being characterized by the manner in which potential vorticity (PV) contours become deformed. Specifically, a stochastic function based on the Laplacian of the material rate of change of PV is examined in order to compare the primitive equations results with those of a quasi-geostrophic model in which this function has shown some utility as a parameterization of eddy effects (Porta Mana and Zanna, 2014). The key question is whether an eddy parameterization based on quasi-geostrophic scaling is able to carry over to a system in which this scaling is not imposed (i.e. the primitive equations), in which unbalanced motions occur.