The effect on simulated ocean climate of a parameterization of unbroken wave‐induced mixing incorporated into the k‐epsilon mixing scheme

A new parameterization of mixing processes in the upper ocean is tested in a ¼° resolution global ocean climate model. The parameterization represents the effect of turbulent mixing by unbroken waves as an additional turbulent shear production term in the k‐epsilon mixing scheme. The results show that the inclusion of this parameterization has a noticeable effect on ocean climate, particularly in regions of high wave activity such as the Southern Ocean. Inclusion of this process also leads to some reduction in the biases of the simulated climate, including mixed layer depth, compared with available observations. Key Points The inclusion of a process that is missing from most climate models causes noticeable changes in Southern Ocean regional ocean climate A parameterization of unbroken wave‐induced mixing can be more correctly formulated as part of a widely used mixing scheme Future increases in wave heights may have a corresponding effect on ocean temperatures