Cool-skin simulation by a one-column ocean model

Abstract

A one-column ocean model is used to simulate the cool-skin effect of sea surface temperatures. Four schemes for determining the thickness of the cool skin are compared. It is established that all four schemes can capture the cool skin for wind speeds <= 7.5 m s(-1); however, for wind speeds > 7.5 m s(-1), Artale et al.' s ( 2002) scheme performs better. This study demonstrates that the cool-skin effect can be reproduced by the one-column model, while a proper vertical resolution in the top 1 mm is embedded.