Effects of Stokes production on summer ocean shelf dynamics

A two-dimensional numerical model, which is configured on the basis of Princeton ocean model (POM), is used to study the effect of Stokes production (SP) of the turbulent kinetic energy on a density profile and Ekman transport in an idealized shelf region in summer. The energy input from SP is parameterized and included into the Mellor-Yamada turbulence closure submodel. Results reveal that the intensity of wind-driven upwelling fronts near the sea surface is weakened by the SP-associated turbulent kinetic energy input. The vertical eddy viscosity coefficient in the surface boundary layer is enhanced greatly owing to the impact of SP, which decreases the alongshore velocity and changes the distribution of upwelling. In addition, the SP-induced mixing easily suppresses the strong stratification and significantly increases the depth of the upper mixed layer (ML) under strong winds.