@article{fdi:010053920,
  title = {{A} modeling study of the impact of tropical instability waves on the heat budget of the eastern equatorial {P}acific},
  author = {{M}enk{\`e}s, {C}hristophe and {V}ialard, {J}{\'e}r{\^o}me and {K}ennan, {S}.{C}. and {B}oulanger, {J}ean-{P}hilippe and {M}adec, {G}.{V}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{A} numerical simulation is used to investigate the mixed layer heat balance of the tropical {P}acific {O}cean including the equatorial cold tongue and the region of vortices associated with tropical instability waves ({TIW}s). {T}he study is motivated by a need to quantify the effects that {TIW}s have on the climatological heat budget of the cold tongue mixed layer; there has been some discrepancy between observations indicating very large equatorward heat transport by {TIW}s and models that disagree on the full three-dimensional budget. {V}alidation of the model reveals that the {TIW}-induced circulation patterns are realistic but may have amplitudes about 15% weaker than those in the observations. {T}he {SST} budget within tropical instabilities is first examined in a frame of reference moving with the associated tropical instability vortices ({TIV}s). {Z}onal advection of temperature anomalies and meridional advection of temperature by current anomalies dominate horizontal advection. {T}hese effects strongly heat the cold cusps and slightly cool the downwelling areas located at the leading edge of the vortices. {C}ooling by vertical mixing is structured at the vortex scale and almost compensates for horizontal advective heating in the cold cusps. {I}n contrast to some previous studies, {TIW}-induced vertical advection is found to be negligible in the {SST} budget. {C}ooling by this term is only significant below the mixed layer. {T}he effect of {TIW}s on the climatological heat budget is then investigated for the region bounded by 2 degrees {S} - 6 degrees {N}, 160 degrees - 90 degrees {W}, where instabilities are most active. {TIW}induced horizontal advection leads to a warming of 0.84 degrees {C} month(-1), which is of the same order as the 0.77 degrees {C} month(-1) warming effect of atmospheric fluxes, while the mean currents and vertical mixing cool the upper ocean by -0.59 degrees {C} month(-1) and -1.06 degrees {C} month(-1), respectively. {T}he cooling effect of {TIW}-induced vertical advection is also negligible in the long-term surface layer heat budget and only becomes significant below the mixed layer. {T}he results above, and in particular the absence of cancellation between horizontal and vertical {TIW}-induced eddy advection, are robust in three other sensitivity experiments involving different mixing parameterizations and increased vertical resolution.},
  keywords = {{PACIFIQUE} ; {ZONE} {EQUATORIALE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {P}hysical {O}ceanography},
  volume = {36},
  numero = {5},
  pages = {847--865},
  ISSN = {0022-3670},
  year = {2006},
  DOI = {10.1175/{JPO}2904.1},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010053920},
}