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Using a new measure that relates tropical cyclone (TC)-induced sea surface cooling with the strength of TCs, interannual variations in potential impacts of the upper ocean stratification on TC-induced sea surface cooling associated with the evolution of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are investigated in the northwestern Pacific using an ocean reanalysis product, with a special focus on haline effects. It is found that the haline stratification could suppress the sea surface cooling by as much as 20% to the south of 20°N in the peak typhoon season (July-October), and this contribution is different between their developing years (September-October) and decaying years (July-August). More specifically, the haline effects may vary up to 25% (40%) during the decaying years of El Niño (La Niña). Due to anomalous haline effects, the region to the west of 160°E is susceptible to the sea surface cooling during the developing and decaying years of El Niño, while the cooling could be suppressed in this region during the decaying years of La Niña. Although the effects of haline stratification have been found less important than those of thermal stratification, potential impacts of the upper ocean salinity on TC-induced sea surface cooling associated with the ENSO have been quantitatively estimated for the first time. Since the main focus of this paper is to present the new measure and discuss potential impacts of the upper ocean salinity stratification, further verifications need to be conducted once more observational data is accumulated or through numerical simulations.

Idealized numerical experiments were performed using a nonhydrostatic atmospheric model coupled with a slab mixed‐layer ocean model with a horizontal grid spacing of 2 km in order to investigate the roles of initial sea‐surface temperature (SST) and vortex‐induced sea‐surface cooling (SSC) in the intensity and intensification of a stationary idealized tropical‐cyclone‐like vortex. Numerical experiment results indicate that the coupled model reproduces rapid intensification, transition, and mature phases in the SST‐central pressure (CP) relation. CP is better approximated by a power function of mixed‐layer heat potential (MLHP) accumulated every 3 hours. The evolution of the vortex and the impacts of initial SST and SSC on the vortex's structural evolution were investigated using potential vorticity (PV) and filamentation time (FT). Mesovortices are rapidly intensified wherein both a steep PV gradient and a positive FT exist. Mesovortices yield the acceleration of inward angular momentum transports, resulting in enhanced inertial forcing. SSC decelerates inward angular momentum transports by reducing PV around the mesovortices. This deceleration suppresses periodic variations of the average atmospheric boundary layer heights, reduces warm‐core temperature anomalies, and lowers their existing heights during the rapid intensification phase. The role of the initial SST in the vortex's evolution is that a high initial SST accelerates the rapid intensification process. Even if accumulated MLHP increases during the mature phase, the vortex Rossby number is reduced, indicating that enhanced vortex Rossby waves increase the radius of maximum wind speed due to high SST.

The Eocene–Oligocene transition (EOT) was a climate shift from a largely ice-free greenhouse world to an icehouse climate, involving the first major glaciation of Antarctica and global cooling occurring ∼34 million years ago (Ma) and lasting ∼790 kyr. The change is marked by a global shift in deep-sea δ18O representing a combination of deep-ocean cooling and growth in land ice volume. At the same time, multiple independent proxies for ocean temperature indicate sea surface cooling, and major changes in global fauna and flora record a shift toward more cold-climate-adapted species. The two principal suggested explanations of this transition are a decline in atmospheric CO2 and changes to ocean gateways, while orbital forcing likely influenced the precise timing of the glaciation. Here we review and synthesise proxy evidence of palaeogeography, temperature, ice sheets, ocean circulation and CO2 change from the marine and terrestrial realms. Furthermore, we quantitatively compare proxy records of change to an ensemble of climate model simulations of temperature change across the EOT. The simulations compare three forcing mechanisms across the EOT: CO2 decrease, palaeogeographic changes and ice sheet growth. Our model ensemble results demonstrate the need for a global cooling mechanism beyond the imposition of an ice sheet or palaeogeographic changes. We find that CO2 forcing involving a large decrease in CO2 of ca. 40 % (∼325 ppm drop) provides the best fit to the available proxy evidence, with ice sheet and palaeogeographic changes playing a secondary role. While this large decrease is consistent with some CO2 proxy records (the extreme endmember of decrease), the positive feedback mechanisms on ice growth are so strong that a modest CO2 decrease beyond a critical threshold for ice sheet initiation is well capable of triggering rapid ice sheet growth. Thus, the amplitude of CO2 decrease signalled by our data–model comparison should be considered an upper estimate and perhaps artificially large, not least because the current generation of climate models do not include dynamic ice sheets and in some cases may be under-sensitive to CO2 forcing. The model ensemble also cannot exclude the possibility that palaeogeographic changes could have triggered a reduction in CO2.

The effect of tropical cyclone (TC) size on TC-induced sea surface temperature (SST) cooling and subsequent TC intensification is an intriguing issue without much exploration. Via compositing satellite-observed SST over the western North Pacific during 2004–19, this study systematically examined the effect of storm size on the magnitude, spatial extension, and temporal evolution of TC-induced SST anomalies (SSTA). Consequential influence on TC intensification is also explored. Among the various TC wind radii, SSTA are found to be most sensitive to the 34-kt wind radius (R34) (1 kt ≈ 0.51 m s–1). Generally, large TCs generate stronger and more widespread SSTA than small TCs (for category 1–2 TCs, R34: ∼270 vs 160 km; SSTA: −1.7° vs −0.9°C). Despite the same effect on prolonging residence time of TC winds, the effect of doubling R34 on SSTA is more profound than halving translation speed, due to more wind energy input into the upper ocean. Also differing from translation speed, storm size has a rather modest effect on the rightward shift and timing of maximum cooling. This study further demonstrates that storm size regulates TC intensification through an oceanic pathway: large TCs tend to induce stronger SST cooling and are exposed to the cooling for a longer time, both of which reduce the ocean’s enthalpy supply and thereby diminish TC intensification. For larger TCs experiencing stronger SST cooling, the probability of rapid intensification is half of smaller TCs. The presented results suggest that accurately specifying storm size should lead to improved cooling effect estimation and TC intensity prediction.

The South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ) is an atmospheric system occurring in austral summer on the South America continent and sometimes extending over the adjacent South Atlantic. It is characterized by a persistent and very large, northwest-southeast-oriented, cloud band. Its presence over the ocean causes sea surface cooling that some past studies indicated as being produced by a decrease of incoming solar heat flux induced by the extensive cloud cover. Here we investigate ocean–atmosphere interaction processes in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SWA) during SACZ oceanic episodes, as well as the resulting modulations occurring in the oceanic mixed layer and their possible feedbacks on the marine atmospheric boundary layer. Our main interests and novel results are on verifying how the oceanic SACZ acts on dynamic and thermodynamic mechanisms and contributes to the sea surface thermal balance in that region. In our oceanic SACZ episodes simulations we confirm an ocean surface cooling. Model results indicate that surface atmospheric circulation and the presence of an extensive cloud cover band over the SWA promote sea surface cooling via a combined effect of dynamic and thermodynamic mechanisms, which are of the same order of magnitude. The sea surface temperature (SST) decreases in regions underneath oceanic SACZ positions, near Southeast Brazilian coast, in the South Brazil Bight (SBB) and offshore. This cooling is the result of a complex combination of factors caused by the decrease of solar shortwave radiation reaching the sea surface and the reduction of horizontal heat advection in the Brazil Current (BC) region. The weakened southward BC and adjacent offshore region heat advection seems to be associated with the surface atmospheric circulation caused by oceanic SACZ episodes, which rotate the surface wind and strengthen cyclonic oceanic mesoscale eddy. Another singular feature found in this study is the presence of an atmospheric cyclonic vortex Southwest of the SACZ (CVSS), both at the surface and aloft at 850 hPa near 24°S and 45°W. The CVSS induces an SST decrease southwestward from the SACZ position by inducing divergent Ekman transport and consequent offshore upwelling. This shows that the dynamical effects of atmospheric surface circulation associated with the oceanic SACZ are not restricted only to the region underneath the cloud band, but that they extend southwestward where the CVSS presence supports the oceanic SACZ convective activity and concomitantly modifies the ocean dynamics. Therefore, the changes produced in the oceanic dynamics by these SACZ events may be important to many areas of scientific and applied climate research. For example, episodes of oceanic SACZ may influence the pathways of pollutants as well as fish larvae dispersion in the region.

Typhoons, fueled by warm sea surface waters, heighten concern as they increasingly interact with frequent Marine Heatwaves (MHWs) in a changing climate. Typhoon Hinnamnor (2022) weakened and re‐intensified as it approached the Korean Strait, interacting with an underlying MHW in the northern East China Sea (nECS). In‐situ observations and reanalysis products revealed a significant increase in latent heat loss from the nECS during the MHW period, contributing to the typhoon re‐intensification. Strong sea surface wind forcing with the typhoon enhanced vertical mixing and upwelling, resulting in a pronounced (0.90°C) sea surface cooling after the typhoon passage, facilitating MHW disappearance with reduced thermal stratification. During MHWs, increased background stratification increases temperature oscillations associated with semidiurnal internal tides. Furthermore, post‐typhoon changes in stratification weakened semidiurnal internal tides due to unfavorable conditions for generation from a nearby source. These findings highlight the importance of continuous time‐series observations to monitor interactions among climatic extremes. Plain Language Summary Typhoons, powered by warm ocean waters, are causing more concern as they increasingly interact with frequent episodes of extremely warm sea conditions known as Marine Heatwaves (MHWs) in a changing climate. This study focuses on Typhoon Hinnamnor in 2022, which went through a weakening and then strengthened as it moved to the Korean Strait and encountered an MHW in the northern East China Sea (nECS). By using in‐situ data collected in the nECS and additional data analysis, we discovered a significant increase in heat loss from the nECS during the MHW, contributing to the intensification of typhoon. The powerful winds from the typhoon caused enhanced mixing and cooling of the sea surface after it passed, helping to cause the disappearance of the MHW and reduce the layering of temperatures in the ocean. During MHW, strong layering strengthens the temperature oscillation linked with the semidiurnal internal tides in the ocean. After typhoon passage there is a decrease in the layering in the ocean, thus weakening the internal tide. The study emphasizes the importance of continuous observations to understand and monitor these interactions in our changing climate. Key Points Typhoon Hinnamnor (2022) re‐intensified after interacting with the underlying Marine Heatwave (MHW) in the East China Sea Typhoon wind‐driven mixing caused the disappearance of the underlying MHW Stratification change accompanied by MHW, and typhoon reduced the local activities of semidiurnal internal tides

The duration of the eyewall replacement cycle (ERC) in typhoons is determined by the rate of dissipation of the inner eyewall and intensification of the outer eyewall, which is an important indicator for predicting changes in the intensity and structure of typhoons. Previous studies on ERCs have focused on the internal storm dynamics associated with the interactions between the concentric eyewalls (CEs), but the impacts of the sea surface cooling (SSC) on ERCs remain not adequately investigated. The slow movement of Typhoon Trami results in remarkable SSC. Using a coupled atmosphere-ocean model, the simulation for Trami generates an ERC that matches observations, whereas an unrealistic long-lived ERC is produced in the uncoupled simulation. Numerical simulations suggest that the typhoon-induced nonuniform SSC can not only weaken the typhoon, but can also modulate the duration of the ERCs. The SSC acts like a catalyst for triggering the negative feedback between the surface heat exchange and the circulations of Trami to reduce the energy supply to the inner eyewall more severely where the sea surface temperature (SST) dropped more sharply. The SSC works in concert with the interactions between the CEs to weaken the inner eyewall faster, thus terminating the ERC of Trami rapidly. The results indicate that a better understanding of the modulation effect of SSC is required for the accurate forecast of ERCs.

The possibility that recent Antarctic sea ice expansion resulted from an increase in freshwater reaching the Southern Ocean is investigated here. The freshwater flux from ice sheet and ice shelf mass imbalance is largely missing in models that participated in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). However, on average, precipitation minus evaporation (P – E) reaching the Southern Ocean has increased in CMIP5 models to a present value that is about 2600 Gt yr−1 greater than preindustrial times and 5–22 times larger than estimates of the mass imbalance of Antarctic ice sheets and shelves (119–544 Gt yr−1). Two sets of experiments were conducted from 1980 to 2013 in CESM1(CAM5), one of the CMIP5 models, artificially distributing freshwater either at the ocean surface to mimic iceberg melt or at the ice shelf fronts at depth. An anomalous reduction in vertical advection of heat into the surface mixed layer resulted in sea surface cooling at high southern latitudes and an associated increase in sea ice area. Enhancing the freshwater input by an amount within the range of estimates of the Antarctic mass imbalance did not have any significant effect on either sea ice area magnitude or trend. Freshwater enhancement of 2000 Gt yr−1 raised the total sea ice area by 1 × 10⁶ km², yet this and even an enhancement of 3000 Gt yr−1 was insufficient to offset the sea ice decline due to anthropogenic forcing for any period of 20 years or longer. Further, the sea ice response was found to be insensitive to the depth of freshwater injection.

The relationship between changes in surface air temperature and sea surface temperature is important for understanding past and future climate change. In this study, we use reconstructions and model simulations to investigate the ratio of global mean air versus sea surface temperature change (S) during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The simulated S at the LGM is 1.97 ± 0.22 (1σ), 44 ± 16% greater than under future warming, primarily due to the influence of elevated continental ice sheets. Results reveal that the glacial air‐sea cooling contrast is negatively related to the magnitude of sea surface cooling, consistent with a simple moist static energy theory. This relationship can be used to constrain S, further suggesting a median LGM surface cooling of −5.6°C. These results caution against the use of a fixed S under different climate background and have implications for paleotemperature reconstructions and climate projections.

Recent work suggests that natural variability has played a significant role in the increase of Antarctic sea ice extent during 1979–2013. The ice extent has responded strongly to atmospheric circulation changes, including a deepened Amundsen Sea Low (ASL), which in part has been driven by tropical variability. Nonetheless, this increase has occurred in the context of externally forced climate change, and it has been difficult to reconcile observed and modeled Antarctic sea ice trends. To understand observed-model disparities, this work defines the internally driven and radiatively forced patterns of Antarctic sea ice change and exposes potential model biases using results from two sets of historical experiments of a coupled climate model compared with observations. One ensemble is constrained only by external factors such as greenhouse gases and stratospheric ozone, while the other explicitly accounts for the influence of tropical variability by specifying observed SST anomalies in the eastern tropical Pacific. The latter experiment reproduces the deepening of the ASL, which drives an increase in regional ice extent due to enhanced ice motion and sea surface cooling. However, the overall sea ice trend in every ensemble member of both experiments is characterized by ice loss and is dominated by the forced pattern, as given by the ensemble-mean of the first experiment. This pervasive ice loss is associated with a strong warming of the ocean mixed layer, suggesting that the ocean model does not locally store or export anomalous heat efficiently enough to maintain a surface environment conducive to sea ice expansion. The pervasive upper-ocean warming, not seen in observations, likely reflects ocean mean-state biases.