Atmospheric cold pools abruptly reverse thermohaline features in the ocean skin layer

Gassen, Lisa; Ayim, Samuel M.; Jaeger, Leonie; Meyerjürgens, Jens; Ribas-Ribas, Mariana; Wurl, Oliver

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-2787-2025

Articles | Volume 21, issue 6

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-2787-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Special issue:

Biogeochemical processes and Air–sea exchange in the...

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-2787-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 21, issue 6

Research article

|

05 Nov 2025

Research article |

| 05 Nov 2025

Atmospheric cold pools abruptly reverse thermohaline features in the ocean skin layer

Lisa Gassen, Samuel M. Ayim, Leonie Jaeger, Jens Meyerjürgens, Mariana Ribas-Ribas, and Oliver Wurl

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-2787-2025-supplement

Data sets

High-resolution measurements of essential climate variables in the North Sea from the autonomous surface vehicle HALOBATES during RV Heincke cruise HE609 L. Gassen et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.968800

High- Resolution Measurements of Essential Climate Variables in the Harbor of Bremerhaven from the Autonomous Surface Vehicle HALOBATES during RV Heincke Cruise HE614 L. Gassen et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.974851

Short summary

This study investigates how abrupt weather changes, such as shifts in air temperature, wind speed and precipitation, impact temperature and salinity in the ocean’s skin layer (upper first millimetre). Two events in the harbour of Bremerhaven and one event in the North Sea revealed that the skin layer reacts instantly, with greater temperature changes than those at a depth of 100 cm, underscoring its key role in air-sea interactions and climate dynamics.