The effect of the wave-induced mixing on the upper ocean temperature in a climate model

The significant underestimation of sea surface temperature (SST) and the temperature in the upper ocean is one of common problems in present climate models.The influence of the wave-induced mixing on SST and the temperature in the upper ocean was examined based on a global climate model.The results from the model coupled with wave-induced mixing showed a significant improvement in the simulation of SST and the temperature in the upper ocean compared with those of the original model without wave effects.Although there has still a cold bias, the new simulation is much closer to the climatology, especially in the northern ocean and tropical ocean.This study indicates that some important physical processes in the accurate simulation of the ocean may be ignored in present climate models, and the wave-induced mixing is one of those factors.Thus, the wave-induced mixing (or the effect of surface waves) should be incorporated properly into climate models in order to simulate or forecast the ocean, then climate system, more accurately.