Simulation shows modulation of low-level winds in the marine atmospheric boundary layer, suggesting oceanic mesoscale eddies affect weather patterns.
This study examined the effects of air‐sea coupling and oceanic mesoscale eddies on wintertime low‐level wind events within the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) over the Kuroshio front zone in the East China Sea. High‐resolution (eddy‐resolving, 5 km) and low‐resolution (50 km) simulations were conducted using prescribed sea surface temperature (SST) forcing and air‐sea coupled simulations in both resolutions. Among all simulations, the eddy‐resolved air‐sea coupled (EC) one exhibited the strongest atmosphere‐to‐SST feedback, closest to the reanalysis data. In the EC simulation, complex interactions of numerous oceanic eddies enhanced the oceanic front intensity. Compared with uncoupled and low‐resolution simulations, it better reproduced wind event statistics from reanalysis. Highly resolved eddy pairs with positive northwest‐to‐southeast SST anomalies strengthened SST gradients, altering sea surface heat fluxes and MABL stability, and thereby distinctly modulating wind event durations. Specifically, short‐lived events were suppressed while long‐lived ones persisted, consistent with reanalysis. These effects are attributed to the influence of numerous oceanic eddy pairs by enhancing oceanic front intensity, air‐sea temperature differences, sea surface heat fluxes, and lower atmospheric stability. Anomalous winds were restrained during initiation but prolonged as events evolved.
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Song et al. (2026) studied this question.
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