@article{PAR00029880,
  title = {{S}ink of eddy energy by submesoscale sea surface temperature variability in a coupled regional model},
  author = {{U}choa, {I}. and {W}enegrat, {J}. and {R}enault, {L}ionel},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{A}ir-sea interaction impacts ocean energetics via modifications to the exchange of momentum and buoyancy. {P}rior work at the submesoscale has largely focused on mechanisms related to the eddy kinetic energy ({EKE}), such as the current feedback on stress, which generates negative wind work, or variations in sea surface temperature ({SST}) that modify surface winds. {H}owever, less is known about the influence of submesoscale {SST} variability on ocean energetics through its direct effect on the surface flux of available potential energy. {I}n this work, the role of air-sea fluxes on submesoscale ocean energetics is investigated using a fully coupled model of the {C}alifornia {C}urrent region, including a numerical experiment that suppresses the thermal response in the computation of air-sea fluxes at the submesoscale. {C}orrelations between surface buoyancy anomalies and surface buoyancy fluxes lead to an approximately 10%-20% loss of submesoscale eddy potential energy ({EPE}), which results in similar magnitude reductions of the vertical buoyancy production, {EKE}, and eddy wind work. {T}he changes induced by this mechanism in the energy reservoirs and dissipation/conversion pathways are on the same order of magnitude as the negative wind work induced by the current feedback. {A} scaling for the {EPE} flux shows that it is a function of the density ratio and proportional to the surface {EPE} reservoir of the system. {T}hese findings indicate the importance of the submesoscale {SST} variability and small-scale variability in surface heat fluxes in modifying energy reservoirs and conversion pathways of the ocean via the direct flux of {EPE} at the air-sea interface. {SIGNIFICANCE} {STATEMENT}: {T}his work investigates the impact of small oceanic frontal features in the ocean, classified as submesoscale, on the exchange of energy at the air-sea boundary. {S}ubmesoscale fronts and filaments range from approximately 0.1-10 km and are characterized by strong horizontal density changes and fast-evolving flow. {T}he associated density anomalies at the surface may be important in the overall energy budget of the surface ocean since they can affect the energy fluxes at the air-sea boundary. {T}wo numerical experiments were set up for a comparative analysis of the energy transfer, conversion, and storage in the upper layer of the {C}alifornia {C}urrent region. {O}ne simulation works as a control experiment with air-sea fluxes calculated using the full-resolution fields. {I}n the second experiment, the role of sea surface temperature anomalies in generating air-sea fluxes is suppressed. {A} comparison between the two experiments shows a difference of 10%-20% in the energy storage and conversion. {S}ea surface temperature variability may induce a reduction of energy via air-sea fluxes similar to energy dissipation driven by wind-current interactions on the same scale of phenomena.},
  keywords = {{A}tmosphere-ocean interaction ; {E}nergy transport ; {S}ea surface temperature ; {H}eat budgets/fluxes ; {O}cean models},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {P}hysical {O}ceanography},
  volume = {55},
  numero = {8},
  pages = {993--1007},
  ISSN = {0022-3670},
  year = {2025},
  DOI = {10.1175/jpo-d-24-0040.1},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/{PAR}00029880},
}