A Case Study of Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions during the Passage of an Extra-Tropical Cyclone in the Vicinity of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina  

作　　者：Neil Jacobs James Churchill Leonard Pietrafesa Shaowu Bao Paul Gayes Neil Jacobs;James Churchill;Leonard Pietrafesa;Shaowu Bao;Paul Gayes(University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, USA;Department of Physical Oceanographym Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA;School of Coastal & Marine Systems Science, Burroughs & Chapin Center for Marine & Wetland Studies, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, USA;Department of Marine, Earth, Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA)

机构地区：[1]University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, USA [2]Department of Physical Oceanographym Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA [3]School of Coastal & Marine Systems Science, Burroughs & Chapin Center for Marine & Wetland Studies, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, USA [4]Department of Marine, Earth, Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA

出　　处：《International Journal of Geosciences》2023年第9期855-876,共22页地球科学国际期刊（英文）

摘　　要：The authors document the interaction of the atmosphere and ocean during the formation and passage of an Extra-Tropical Cyclone, which is a Nor-Easter, winter storm that formed in the southern apex of the Middle Atlantic Bight near Cape Hatteras North Carolina, between February 15 and 18, 1996. While Nor-Easters per se, which have formed along the Atlantic Eastern Seaboard of the United States have been studied for decades, the actual atmospheric-oceanic mechanics and thermodynamics in the formation of a Nor-Easter has never been documented. We report on having done so with in-situ observations and data-based calculations and a numerical model. The in-situ observations were made via a Control Volume consisting of an array of Eulerian Oceanic-Atmospheric Moorings with current meters, temperature and salinity sensors and meteorological towers. We find that Gulf Stream waters were located surrounding the mooring array, and that with the invasion of cold dry atmospheric air, there was a rapid loss of heat from the ocean to the atmosphere via latent and sensible surface heat flux during the cyclogenesis onset of the storm. A unique feature of this storm was that neither satellite nor buoy data showed significant sea surface cooling in the control volume. The findings indicate that storm winds drove warm saline waters from the Gulf Stream across the continental shelf into the control volume, accounting for a 51 cm rise in water level along the coast. This lateral heat advection provided heat to the control volume of 3.4e+18 Joules. On average, the heat loss at the surface of the control volume, via sensible and latent heat fluxes and radiation, was 0.7e+18 Joules, corresponding to a surface heat flux of -600 Watts per Meter2 (W/m²). However, the heat lost by the control volume as latent and sensible heat fluxes was less than the heat it received via lateral heat advection, resulting in the lack of an often-observed sea surface cooling during other winter storms. The serendipitous and detailed observations andThe authors document the interaction of the atmosphere and ocean during the formation and passage of an Extra-Tropical Cyclone, which is a Nor-Easter, winter storm that formed in the southern apex of the Middle Atlantic Bight near Cape Hatteras North Carolina, between February 15 and 18, 1996. While Nor-Easters per se, which have formed along the Atlantic Eastern Seaboard of the United States have been studied for decades, the actual atmospheric-oceanic mechanics and thermodynamics in the formation of a Nor-Easter has never been documented. We report on having done so with in-situ observations and data-based calculations and a numerical model. The in-situ observations were made via a Control Volume consisting of an array of Eulerian Oceanic-Atmospheric Moorings with current meters, temperature and salinity sensors and meteorological towers. We find that Gulf Stream waters were located surrounding the mooring array, and that with the invasion of cold dry atmospheric air, there was a rapid loss of heat from the ocean to the atmosphere via latent and sensible surface heat flux during the cyclogenesis onset of the storm. A unique feature of this storm was that neither satellite nor buoy data showed significant sea surface cooling in the control volume. The findings indicate that storm winds drove warm saline waters from the Gulf Stream across the continental shelf into the control volume, accounting for a 51 cm rise in water level along the coast. This lateral heat advection provided heat to the control volume of 3.4e+18 Joules. On average, the heat loss at the surface of the control volume, via sensible and latent heat fluxes and radiation, was 0.7e+18 Joules, corresponding to a surface heat flux of -600 Watts per Meter2 (W/m²). However, the heat lost by the control volume as latent and sensible heat fluxes was less than the heat it received via lateral heat advection, resulting in the lack of an often-observed sea surface cooling during other winter storms. The serendipitous and detailed observations and

关 键 词：Mid-Latitude Cyclone Extra-Tropical Cyclone CYCLOGENESIS Nor’easter Winter Storms Latent and Sensible Heat Fluxes Salt Flux 

分 类 号：P73[天文地球—海洋科学]