scholarly journals Interannual variability of the South Indian Countercurrent

2016 ◽  
Vol 121 (5) ◽  
pp. 3465-3487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viviane V. Menezes ◽  
Helen E. Phillips ◽  
Marcio L. Vianna ◽  
Nathaniel L. Bindoff
2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 1595-1609
Author(s):  
Motoki Nagura ◽  
Michael J. McPhaden

AbstractThis study examines interannual variability in sea surface height (SSH) at southern midlatitudes of the Indian Ocean (10°–35°S). Our focus is on the relative role of local wind forcing and remote forcing from the equatorial Pacific Ocean. We use satellite altimetry measurements, an atmospheric reanalysis, and a one-dimensional wave model tuned to simulate observed SSH anomalies. The model solution is decomposed into the part driven by local winds and that driven by SSH variability radiated from the western coast of Australia. Results show that variability radiated from the Australian coast is larger in amplitude than variability driven by local winds in the central and eastern parts of the south Indian Ocean at midlatitudes (between 19° and 33°S), whereas the influence from eastern boundary forcing is confined to the eastern basin at lower latitudes (10° and 17°S). The relative importance of eastern boundary forcing at midlatitudes is due to the weakness of wind stress curl anomalies in the interior of the south Indian Ocean. Our analysis further suggests that SSH variability along the west coast of Australia originates from remote wind forcing in the tropical Pacific, as is pointed out by previous studies. The zonal gradient of SSH between the western and eastern parts of the south Indian Ocean is also mostly controlled by variability radiated from the Australian coast, indicating that interannual variability in meridional geostrophic transport is driven principally by Pacific winds.


Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongda Lin

Extratropical teleconnections significantly affect the climate in subtropical and mid-latitude regions. Understanding the variability of atmospheric teleconnection in the Southern Hemisphere, however, is still limited in contrast with the well-documented counterpart in the Northern Hemisphere. This study investigates the interannual variability of mid-latitude circulation in the Southern Hemisphere in austral summer based on the ERA-Interim reanalysis dataset during 1980–2016. A stationary mid-latitude teleconnection is revealed along the strong Southern Hemisphere westerly jet over the South Atlantic and South Indian Ocean (SAIO). The zonally oriented SAIO pattern represents the first EOF mode of interannual variability of meridional winds at 200 hPa over the region, with a vertical barotropic structure and a zonal wavenumber of 4. It significantly modulates interannual climate variations in the subtropical Southern Hemisphere in austral summer, especially the opposite change in rainfall and surface air temperature between Northwest and Southeast Australia. The SAIO pattern can be efficiently triggered by divergences over mid-latitude South America and the southwest South Atlantic, near the entrance of the westerly jet, which is probably related to the zonal shift of the South Atlantic Convergence Zone. The triggered wave train is then trapped within the Southern Hemisphere westerly jet waveguide and propagates eastward until it diverts northeastward towards Australia at the jet exit, in addition to portion of which curving equatorward at approximately 50° E towards the southwest Indian Ocean.


2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 3093-3098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gen Li ◽  
Shang-Ping Xie ◽  
Yan Du

Abstract An open-ocean thermocline dome south of the equator is a striking feature of the Indian Ocean (IO) as a result of equatorial westerly winds. Over the thermocline dome, the El Niño–forced Rossby waves help sustain the IO basin (IOB) mode and offer climate predictability for the IO and surrounding countries. This study shows that a common equatorial easterly wind bias, by forcing a westward-propagating downwelling Rossby wave in the southern IO, induces too deep a thermocline dome over the southwestern IO (SWIO) in state-of-the-art climate models. Such a deep SWIO thermocline weakens the influence of subsurface variability on sea surface temperature (SST), reducing the IOB amplitude and possibly limiting the models’ skill of regional climate prediction. To the extent that the equatorial easterly wind bias originates from errors of the South Asian summer monsoon, improving the monsoon simulation can lead to substantial improvements in simulating and predicting interannual variability in the IO.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junhua Liu ◽  
Jose M. Rodriguez ◽  
Stephen D. Steenrod ◽  
Anne R. Douglass ◽  
Jennifer A. Logan ◽  
...  

Abstract. We examine the relative contribution of processes controlling the interannual variability (IAV) of tropospheric ozone over four sub-regions of the southern hemispheric tropospheric ozone maximum (SHTOM) over a twenty-year period. Our study is based on hindcast simulations from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Global Modeling Initiative – Chemistry transport model (NASA GMI-CTM) of tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry, driven by assimilated Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) meteorological fields. Our analysis shows that over SHTOM region, the IAV of the stratospheric contribution is the most important factor driving the IAV of upper tropospheric ozone (270 hPa), where ozone has a strong radiative effect. Over the south Atlantic region, the contribution from surface emissions to the IAV of ozone exceeds that from stratospheric input at and below 430 hPa. Over the south Indian Ocean, the IAV of stratospheric ozone makes the largest contribution to the IAV of ozone with little or no influence from surface emissions at 270 hPa and 430 hPa in austral winter. Over the tropical south Atlantic region, the contribution from IAV of stratospheric input dominates in austral winter at 270 hPa and drops to less than half but is still significant at 430 hPa. Emission contributions are not significant at these two levels, even during September. The IAV of lightning over this region also contributes to the IAV of ozone in September and December. Over the tropical southeastern Pacific, the contribution of the IAV of stratospheric input is significant at 270 hPa and 430 hPa in austral winter, and emissions have little influence.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 3279-3299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junhua Liu ◽  
Jose M. Rodriguez ◽  
Stephen D. Steenrod ◽  
Anne R. Douglass ◽  
Jennifer A. Logan ◽  
...  

Abstract. We examine the relative contribution of processes controlling the interannual variability (IAV) of tropospheric ozone over four sub-regions of the southern hemispheric tropospheric ozone maximum (SHTOM) over a 20-year period. Our study is based on hindcast simulations from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Global Modeling Initiative chemistry transport model (NASA GMI-CTM) of tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry, driven by assimilated Modern Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) meteorological fields. Our analysis shows that over SHTOM region, the IAV of the stratospheric contribution is the most important factor driving the IAV of upper tropospheric ozone (270 hPa), where ozone has a strong radiative effect. Over the South Atlantic region, the contribution from surface emissions to the IAV of ozone exceeds that from stratospheric input at and below 430 hPa. Over the South Indian Ocean, the IAV of stratospheric ozone makes the largest contribution to the IAV of ozone with little or no influence from surface emissions at 270 and 430 hPa in austral winter. Over the tropical South Atlantic region, the contribution from IAV of stratospheric input dominates in austral winter at 270 hPa and drops to less than half but is still significant at 430 hPa. Emission contributions are not significant at these two levels. The IAV of lightning over this region also contributes to the IAV of ozone in September and December. Over the tropical southeastern Pacific, the contribution of the IAV of stratospheric input is significant at 270 and 430 hPa in austral winter, and emissions have little influence.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (19) ◽  
pp. 7089-7102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dian Putrasahan ◽  
Ben P. Kirtman ◽  
Lisa M. Beal

Abstract The Agulhas leakage transports warm and saline water from the Indian Ocean into the South Atlantic Ocean, forming part of the upper returning arm of the meridional overturning circulation, which can influence climate. Ocean–atmosphere interactions and the strength of Agulhas leakage control sea surface temperature (SST) in the Agulhas leakage corridor, which may in turn affect regional climate variability. In a high-resolution run of the Community Climate System Model (version 3.5; CCSM3.5), it is found that the interannual variability of Agulhas leakage SST is linked to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Anomalous wind stress curl over the south Indian Ocean associated with ENSO excites westward-propagating oceanic Rossby waves that initiate southwestward-propagating anomalies along the coast of Africa. It takes approximately 2 years for this signal to reach the southern tip of South Africa and enter the South Atlantic, where it accounts for 20%–30% of the interannual SSH variability in the Agulhas leakage region. The authors find a similar propagation of anomalies with satellite observations. A similar ENSO cycle along with Rossby wave adjustment is detected in an analogous low-resolution CCSM3.5 run. However, the signal does not propagate all the way along the boundary to affect Agulhas leakage SST. Hence, it is found that high-resolution coupled climate models are necessary to resolve the tropical–subtropical oceanic teleconnection between ENSO and Agulhas leakage SST.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Femina Sam ◽  
Madhavi Kandagaddala ◽  
Ivan James Prithishkumar ◽  
Koyeli Mary Mahata ◽  
Mahasampath Gowri ◽  
...  

AbstractQuadriceps femoris is an extensor muscle in the anterior compartment of thigh and is traditionally taught to be composed of four heads. Recently, there is an increased interest in the occurrence of an additional muscle head of quadriceps femoris. But scientific knowledge regarding its incidence is lacking in the South Indian population. This study was done to confirm the presence of the additional head by routine anatomic dissection and radiological imaging techniques. Forty-one formalin fixed human cadaveric lower limbs were dissected and the morphology of the additional head was noted. Retrospective analysis of 88 MRI images of patients was done. The additional muscle head was present in 43.9% of the cadaveric lower limbs and was consistently located between the vastus lateralis and vastus intermedius. It originated from variable portions of the greater trochanter, intertrochanteric line, lateral lip of linea aspera and lateral surface of the shaft of femur and inserted either as a muscle belly or as an aponeurosis into the vastus intermedius (55.6%), vastus lateralis (22.2%) or directly into the base of the patella. It received its vascular supply from branches of the lateral circumflex femoral artery and was innervated by branches from the posterior division of the femoral nerve. In addition, the additional muscle head was identified by MRI and its incidence was reported to be 30.68% for the first time in living subjects. The result of this study provides additional information in understanding the morphology of the quadriceps femoris muscle.


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