[MITgcm-support] I love KPP

[Martin Losch]

Hi,

I wanted to see how I can control the boundary layer depth of KPP with 
surface forcing. As a zero order test I ran the model without any 
surface forcing (in fact, no forcing at all) from an inital stratified 
state (only theta, linear equation of state, sBeta=0, no diffusion, 
viscosity): model doesn't move, that's good. Then I turned on KPP, 
again not forcing whatsoever, but now the stratified water column gets 
MIXED down to certain depth (because of KPP) and reaches some sort of 
equilibrium. When I look at the equations in Large etal (1994), I 
gather, that with no wind stress, ustar is zero (Eq2), the Ekman depth 
is zero (Eq24) and therefore the boundary layer depth should be zero as 
well (for stable forcing, I have neutral=no forcing).

Any idea, what's going on?

Martin

Martin Losch // mailto:mlosch at awi-bremerhaven.de
Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung
Postfach 120161, 27515 Bremerhaven, Germany
Tel./Fax: ++49(471)4831-1872
http://www.awi-bremerhaven.de/People/show?mlosch