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Large-Eddy Simulations of Stabilizing Effects Induced by Opposing Eulerian Shear and Stokes Drift Shear in an Idealized Ocean Surface Boundary Layer.

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Title: Large-Eddy Simulations of Stabilizing Effects Induced by Opposing Eulerian Shear and Stokes Drift Shear in an Idealized Ocean Surface Boundary Layer.
Authors: Li, Qing1,2 (AUTHOR) ocqingli@hkust-gz.edu.cn
Source: Journal of Physical Oceanography. Apr2026, Vol. 56 Issue 4, p855-871. 17p.
Subjects: Turbulent mixing, Vertical mixing (Earth sciences), Large eddy simulation models, Wind shear, Turbulence, Shear flow, Internal waves
Abstract: Ocean surface waves strongly modulate vertical turbulent mixing in the ocean surface boundary layer. When they are aligned with wind-driven Eulerian shear, Craik–Leibovich instability occurs, resulting in the formation of Langmuir turbulence that strongly enhances vertical mixing. By the same mechanism, ocean surface waves can also stabilize the water column and suppress boundary layer turbulence when they are in the opposite direction as the Eulerian shear. Here, we demonstrate this stabilizing effect induced by opposing Eulerian shear and Stokes drift shear in large-eddy simulations (LESs) under idealized homogeneous surface cooling and no-wind conditions. Rolls of convection form under the competing effects of destabilizing surface cooling and stabilizing wave-induced stratification. The latter depends on the alignment of Eulerian shear and Stokes drift shear, resulting in roll structures aligned perpendicular to the Stokes drift. In addition, the intensity of turbulence is significantly reduced as compared to the case of pure convection. Such a stabilizing effect of wave-induced stratification has yet to be incorporated in wave-driven mixing parameterizations and may lead to potential improvements. Using this idealized test case, we also demonstrate the effect of assuming down-Eulerian shear mixing versus down-Lagrangian shear mixing in the subgrid-scale scheme by comparing two LES models. While such an effect may be hidden in strongly wind-forced cases, it results in completely different solutions in this idealized case by changing the boundary condition for the mean flow. Therefore, care should be taken when designing and interpreting LES with misaligned currents and waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Physical Oceanography is the property of American Meteorological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Large-Eddy Simulations of Stabilizing Effects Induced by Opposing Eulerian Shear and Stokes Drift Shear in an Idealized Ocean Surface Boundary Layer.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Li%2C+Qing%22">Li, Qing</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> ocqingli@hkust-gz.edu.cn</i>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Physical+Oceanography%22">Journal of Physical Oceanography</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 56 Issue 4, p855-871. 17p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Turbulent+mixing%22">Turbulent mixing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vertical+mixing+%28Earth+sciences%29%22">Vertical mixing (Earth sciences)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Large+eddy+simulation+models%22">Large eddy simulation models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Wind+shear%22">Wind shear</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Turbulence%22">Turbulence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Shear+flow%22">Shear flow</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Internal+waves%22">Internal waves</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Ocean surface waves strongly modulate vertical turbulent mixing in the ocean surface boundary layer. When they are aligned with wind-driven Eulerian shear, Craik–Leibovich instability occurs, resulting in the formation of Langmuir turbulence that strongly enhances vertical mixing. By the same mechanism, ocean surface waves can also stabilize the water column and suppress boundary layer turbulence when they are in the opposite direction as the Eulerian shear. Here, we demonstrate this stabilizing effect induced by opposing Eulerian shear and Stokes drift shear in large-eddy simulations (LESs) under idealized homogeneous surface cooling and no-wind conditions. Rolls of convection form under the competing effects of destabilizing surface cooling and stabilizing wave-induced stratification. The latter depends on the alignment of Eulerian shear and Stokes drift shear, resulting in roll structures aligned perpendicular to the Stokes drift. In addition, the intensity of turbulence is significantly reduced as compared to the case of pure convection. Such a stabilizing effect of wave-induced stratification has yet to be incorporated in wave-driven mixing parameterizations and may lead to potential improvements. Using this idealized test case, we also demonstrate the effect of assuming down-Eulerian shear mixing versus down-Lagrangian shear mixing in the subgrid-scale scheme by comparing two LES models. While such an effect may be hidden in strongly wind-forced cases, it results in completely different solutions in this idealized case by changing the boundary condition for the mean flow. Therefore, care should be taken when designing and interpreting LES with misaligned currents and waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Physical Oceanography is the property of American Meteorological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1175/JPO-D-25-0077.1
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 17
        StartPage: 855
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Turbulent mixing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Vertical mixing (Earth sciences)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Large eddy simulation models
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Wind shear
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Turbulence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Shear flow
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Internal waves
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Large-Eddy Simulations of Stabilizing Effects Induced by Opposing Eulerian Shear and Stokes Drift Shear in an Idealized Ocean Surface Boundary Layer.
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            NameFull: Li, Qing
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            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Text: Apr2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 56
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            – TitleFull: Journal of Physical Oceanography
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