Simulation of extratropical Hurricane Gustav using a coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea spray model

Numerical simulations of extratropical Hurricane Gustav (2002) are performed using the MC2 (Mesoscale Compressible Community) atmospheric model, coupled to the Princeton Ocean Model (POM), and a sea spray parameterization. On one hand, the impact of coupling POM to MC2 generates sea surface temperature (SST) cooling, through entrainment mixing at the bottom of the mixed layer, with the passage of the storm. SST cooling reduces the sea surface heat fluxes compared to uncoupled MC2 simulations, which have time-invariant SST. Reduced heat fluxes lead to reduced storm intensity. On the other hand, simulation of the heat and mass flux contributions of sea spray enhances sea surface heat fluxes and slightly increases maximum storm intensity compared to coupled MC2-POM simulations without spray.