Collaborative Research: Gravity Current Entrainment Climate Process Team

将组建一个气候过程小组，开发重力流卷吸的参数，以便纳入海洋环流模式。在气候模型中更好地表示溢出过程对于更好地捕捉包括气候突变在内的温盐环流的可变性至关重要。首先，将仔细检查观测和过程研究中的夹带，并将利用所获得的知识来开发新的夹带参数。最近的几个观测项目研究了溢流重力流中的卷吸作用，许多最近的实验室和数值过程研究阐明了导致卷吸的各种物理过程。将这种过程纳入气候模型的几种可能的形式已经被开发出来。对于等轴和z坐标海洋环流模式(OGCM)，都存在重力流的初步参数化，可以对其进行修改，以更好地纳入对卷吸物理的新理解。新的参数化方案将在三类海洋大气环流中实施和评估。拟议活动的广泛影响：重力流卷吸是海洋气候环流的一个重要组成部分，这项研究将加深我们对这一过程及其在气候中的作用的理解。这项研究将加强建模中心和学术机构之间的联系；以新的参数形式提供可供整个气候模型界使用的具体产品；通过能够对气候多变性进行更可靠的预测来造福社会；通过资助2名博士后来促进跨学科培训；通过更大社区参加的年度讲习班传播成果；促进代表性不足的群体(女性协调PI)。

A Climate Process Team will be assembled to develop parameterizations of gravity current entrainment for inclusion in ocean general circulation models. A better representation of overflow processes in climate models is crucial to better capture the variability of the thermohaline circulation, including abrupt climate change. First, entrainment in observations and process studies will be closely examined and the derived knowledge will be used to develop new parameterizations of entrainment. Several recent observational programs have examined the entrainment in overflow gravity currents, and many recent laboratory and numerical process studies have elucidated a variety of physical processes contributing to entrainment. Several possible formalisms for including such processes into climate models have been developed. For both isopycnal and z-coordinate Ocean General Circulation Models (OGCM), preliminary parameterizations of gravity currents exist which can be modified to better incorporate new understanding of the physics of entrainment. The new parameterizations will be implemented and evaluated in three classes of OGCMs.Broader impacts of the proposed activity: Gravity current entrainment is an important component of the ocean climate circulation, and this study will enhance our understanding of this process and its role in the climate. This study will enhance links between modeling centers and academic institutions; provide concrete products in the form of new parameterizations which can be used by the whole climate modeling community; benefit society by enabling more reliable predictions of climate variability; promote interdisciplinary training through funding of 2 post-docs; disseminate results through annual workshops involving the larger community; promote underrepresented groups (female coordinating PI).