@article{fdi:010075542,
  title = {{R}emarkable control of western boundary currents by {E}ddy {K}illing, a mechanical air-sea coupling process},
  author = {{R}enault, {L}ionel and {M}archesiello, {P}atrick and {M}asson, {S}. and {M}c{W}illiams, {J}. {C}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{W}estern boundary currents ({WBC}s) are critical to {E}arth's climate. {I}n the last decade, mesoscale air-sea interactions emerged as an important factor of {WBC} dynamics. {R}ecently, coupled models including the feedback of surface oceanic currents to the atmosphere confirmed the existence of a physical process called eddy killing, which may correct long-lasting biases in the representation of {WBC}s by providing an unambiguous energy sink mechanism. {U}sing ocean-atmosphere coupled simulations of the {G}ulf {S}tream and the {A}gulhas {C}urrent, we show that eddy killing reduces the eddy-mean flow interaction (both forward and inverse cascades) and leads to more realistic solutions. {M}odel and data fluxes are in good agreement when the same coarse grid is used for their computation, although in this case they are underestimated. {W}e conclude that the uncoupled approach is no longer suitable for continued ocean model improvement and discuss new formulations that should better account for air-sea interactions. {P}lain {L}anguage {S}ummary {W}estern boundary currents ({WBC}s), such as the {G}ulf {S}tream and the {A}gulhas {C}urrent play a crucial role in global ocean circulation and in determining and stabilizing the {E}arth's climate. {I}n the last decade, mesoscale air-sea interactions emerged as important in {WBC} dynamics. {R}ecently, coupled models including the feedback of surface oceanic currents to the atmosphere revealed a process called eddy killing, which potentially corrects long-lasting biases in the representation of {WBC}s. {I}n this study, using ocean-atmosphere coupled simulations of the {G}ulf {S}tream and {A}gulhas {C}urrent, we show that eddy killing reduces the interactions between eddies and mean flow. {T}he influence of the eddies on the mean flow can be measured by the cascade of energy, and, in particular, the inverse cascade of energy. {T}he reduction of inverse energy flux by eddy killing leads to realistic solutions and, in particular, to the observed stabilization of {WBC}s. {M}odel and data fluxes are in good agreement when the same coarse grid is used for their computation, although in this case they are underestimated. {W}e conclude that uncoupled models are no longer suitable for continuing our model improvement of ocean dynamics and discuss new formulations that should better account for air-sea interactions.},
  keywords = {eddy-mean flow interactions is reduced by current feedback ; stabilization of the western boundary currents ; validation with satellite data ; satellite data underestimates the eddy-mean flow ; interactions ; eddy killing induced by current feedback ; {ATLANTIQUE} ; {GULF} {STREAM} ; {AGULHAS} {COURANT}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{G}eophysical {R}esearch {L}etters},
  volume = {46},
  numero = {5},
  pages = {2743--2751},
  ISSN = {0094-8276},
  year = {2019},
  DOI = {10.1029/2018gl081211},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010075542},
}