Interannual Variability of the Thermocline Depth in the South‐Central Indian Ocean: Respective Influences of IOD and ENSO

Author(s):  
Hongwei Liu ◽  
Yongliang Duan ◽  
Xiaomei Yan ◽  
Chongguang Pang

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 5827-5847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Zinke ◽  
Lars Reuning ◽  
Miriam Pfeiffer ◽  
Jasper A. Wassenburg ◽  
Emily Hardman ◽  
...  

Abstract. The western Indian Ocean has been warming rapidly over recent decades, causing a greater number of extreme climatic events. It is therefore of paramount importance to improve our understanding of links between Indian Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) variability, climate change and sustainability of tropical coral reef ecosystems. Here we present monthly resolved coral Sr ∕ Ca records from two different locations from Rodrigues Island (63° E, 19° S) in the south-central Indian Ocean trade wind belt. We reconstruct SST based on a linear relationship with the Sr ∕ Ca proxy with records starting from 1781 and 1945, respectively. We assess relationships between the observed long-term SST and climate fluctuations related to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Subtropical Indian Ocean Dipole Mode (SIOD) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) between 1945 and 2006, respectively. The reproducibility of the Sr ∕ Ca records is assessed as are the potential impacts of diagenesis and corallite orientation on Sr ∕ Ca–SST reconstructions. We calibrate individual robust Sr ∕ Ca records with in situ SST and various gridded SST products. The results show that the SST record from Cabri provides the first Indian Ocean coral proxy time series that records the SST signature of the PDO in the south-central Indian Ocean since 1945. We suggest that additional records from Rodrigues Island can provide excellent records of SST variations in the southern Indian Ocean trade wind belt to unravel teleconnections with the SIOD/ENSO/PDO on longer timescales.





1977 ◽  
Author(s):  
NAVAL OCEANOGRAPHIC OFFICE NSTL STATION MS


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.



1999 ◽  
Vol 104 (C7) ◽  
pp. 15495-15514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg Reppin ◽  
Friedrich A. Schott ◽  
Jürgen Fischer ◽  
Detlef Quadfasel




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 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 789-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gengxin Chen ◽  
Weiqing Han ◽  
Yuanlong Li ◽  
Dongxiao Wang

AbstractThe equatorial eastern Indian Ocean (EIO) upwelling occurs in the Indian Ocean warm pool, differing from the equatorial Pacific and Atlantic upwelling that occurs in the cold tongue. By analyzing observations and performing ocean model experiments, this paper quantifies the remote versus local forcing in causing interannual variability of the equatorial EIO upwelling from 2001 to 2011 and elucidates the associated processes. For all seasons, interannual variability of thermocline depth in the EIO, as an indicator of upwelling, is dominated by remote forcing from equatorial Indian Ocean winds, which drive Kelvin waves that propagate along the equator and subsequently along the Sumatra–Java coasts. Upwelling has prominent signatures in sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a concentration but only in boreal summer–fall (May–October). Local forcing plays a larger role than remote forcing in producing interannual SST anomaly (SSTA). During boreal summer–fall, when the mean thermocline is relatively shallow, SSTA is primarily driven by the upwelling process, with comparable contributions from remote and local forcing effects. In contrast, during boreal winter–spring (November–April), when the mean thermocline is relatively deep, SSTA is controlled by surface heat flux and decoupled from thermocline variability. Advection affects interannual SSTA in all cases. The remote and local winds that drive the interannual variability of the equatorial EIO upwelling are closely associated with Indian Ocean dipole events and to a lesser degree with El Niño–Southern Oscillation.



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul U Pai ◽  
Anant Parekh ◽  
Jasti S. Chowdary ◽  
C. Gnanaseelan

Abstract The present study examines interannual variability of Shallow Meridional Overturning Circulation (SMOC) using century long reanalysis data. The strength of the transport associated with SMOC is calculated by meridional overturning streamfunction. The interannual variability in SMOC is found maximum between the 5oS and 15oS and displaying strong signals after 1940s. A year for which the meridional overturning streamfunction detrended anomaly is greater (lesser) its standard deviation is identified as strong (weak) SMOC year. For strong (weak) SMOC year composite displayed more (less) southward transport (~2.5 Sv) and shown excess (less) subduction over the South Indian Ocean. During strong (weak) years, the excess (less) southward heat transport (~0.25PW) leads to reduction (increase) in the upper 200m Ocean Heat Content (OHC) and sea level over the Southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO). The results obtained are well supported by tide gauge and satellite measured sea level data for the available period. Further analysis reveals that the SMOC variability is primarily driven by change in zonal wind stress south of the equator and displayed association with the Southern Oscillation Index. The Ocean model-based sensitivity experiments confirms that the OHC variability over SWIO is closely associated with the SMOC variability and is primarily driven by local wind forcing as a response to El Niño Southern Oscillation. However, the role of remote forcing from Pacific through Oceanic pathway over SWIO is absent. Study attempts to provide a comprehensive view on the interannual variability of SMOC and its linkage to OHC variability over SWIO during last century.



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