Effects of salinity on long-term tropical atmospheric and oceanic variability

The effects of salinity on long-term tropical atmospheric and oceanic variability are investigated using a pair of two-dimensional coupled ocean-cloud resolving atmosphere simulations. A zero vertical velocity and a constant zonal wind are imposed in cloud resolving atmosphere model. The experiment with salinity is compared to the experiment without salinity. The model is integrated for 51 days. The comparison between the experiments with and without salinity effects shows negative differences in ocean mixed-layer temperature and precipitable water as well as positive differences in atmospheric temperature. The budgets of ocean mixed-layer heat and atmospheric mass-weighted mean temperature and precipitable water are analyzed. The ocean thermal forcing and thermal entrainment determine the negative difference in the mixed-layer temperature. Surface evaporation and condensation are responsible for the negative precipitable water difference whereas radiative heating and latent heat account for the positive air temperature difference.