Abstract
Previous studies have highlighted the individual importance of diurnal
warm layers (DWLs) and surface-layer fronts within the surface boundary
layer (SBL) in regulating energy, momentum, and gas exchange between the
atmosphere and the ocean. This study investigates the interactions
between DWLs and surface-layer fronts using field observations and
numerical turbulence models. Our study provides the real-ocean relevance
of the coexistence of DWLs and surface-layer fronts in the SBL in an
eddy-rich tropical ocean subjected to intense solar heating and weak
winds. We found that the presence of a DWL isolates the deeper layers of
the SBL from diabatic and frictional surface forcing, causing these
layers to quickly become non-turbulent while remaining in a state of
marginal stability. This condition suggests that small perturbations
from local processes, such as internal tides and waves, can easily
trigger instability and turbulence. Additionally, frontal dynamics were
observed to deepen the SBL, allowing near-surface diurnal shear
associated with DWL dynamics to penetrate to greater depths during
nighttime, compared to conditions without a front, thereby facilitating
the vertical transport of heat and tracers. Our findings underscore the
necessity of accurately representing the interactions between DWLs and
surface-layer fronts to enhance the precision of ocean circulation and
climate models.