This is a continuation of a pilot Climate Process Team to develop parameterizations of gravity current entrainment for inclusion in ocean general circulation models. Our team comprises observationalists involved in recent field studies of entrainment in overflows: (Faroe Bank Channel, Antarctic shelf, Red Sea Overflow); process study modelers examining entrainment processes with high resolution non-hydrostatic simulations; developers of simplified models of entraining gravity currents ; and those using a variety of large scale model architectures at oceanographic institutions and climate modeling centers. The main objective of the final two years fo the project are to (a) closely examine entrainment in observations and process studies; (b) use this knowledge to develop new parameterizations of entrainment; (c) implement and evaluate the new parameterizations in ocean general circulation models and coupled climate models.
Intellectual merit 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.
Broader impacts: 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. It will benefit society by enabling more reliable predictions of climate variability and promote interdisciplinary training through funding of 2 postdocs and investigators from under-represented groups. The results of the research will be disseminated through annual workshops involving the larger community.
This project is a contribution to the U.S. CLIVAR (CLImate VARiability and predictability) program.
