Sensitivity of Marine Heatwave Metrics to Ocean Model Resolution

Sustained extreme temperature events in the ocean, referred to as marine heatwaves (MHWs), generate substantial ecological, social, and economic impacts. Ocean models provide insights to the drivers, persistence, and dissipation of MHWs. However, the sensitivity of MHW metrics to ocean model resolution is unknown. Here, we analyze global MHW metrics in three configurations of a global ocean‐sea ice model at coarse (1°), eddy‐permitting (0.25°), and eddy‐rich (0.1°) resolutions. We show that all configurations qualitatively represent broad‐scale global patterns of MHWs. These simulated MHWs are, however, weaker, longer‐lasting, and less frequent than in observations. The 0.1° configuration, despite local biases, performs best both globally and regionally. Based on these results, model projections of future MHW metrics using coarse‐resolution models are expected to be biased toward weaker and less frequent MHWs, when compared with results using an eddy‐rich model. Plain Language Summary Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are persistent extreme temperatures in the ocean. They have a negative impact on marine life, fisheries, and tourism, and are becoming more frequent and more intense. One way to understand how MHWs form, intensify, and decay is by analyzing results from computer simulations of the ocean. However, these simulations are a simplification of reality, and depending on how they are designed they represent different aspects of the ocean circulation. It is still unknown how much the resolution of an ocean simulation matters when representing MHWs. In this work, we compare the performance of three ocean simulations—with low, medium, and high resolutions—when representing MHWs. We find that, regardless of their resolution, all simulations have weaker, longer, and less‐frequent MHWs, when compared with the real world. Despite these differences, we find that simulations with medium and high‐resolutions realistically represent global spatial patterns of MHWs. However, the ocean simulation with high resolution is preferable when studying regional patterns of MHWs. These results show how simulated MHWs differ from the real world, helping us to improve ocean simulations to be more realistic. In addition, we now better understand how computer simulations of future oceans, under climate change conditions, represent these extreme events. Key Points Marine heatwaves are weaker, longer‐lasting, and less frequent in models than in observations The higher the model resolutio