scholarly journals The near surface equatorial Indian Ocean in 1979. Part I: linear dynamics

1985 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 723
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Equatorial Indian Ocean ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Linear Dynamics

scholarly journals Dynamics of Biweekly Oscillations in the Equatorial Indian Ocean*

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 827-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Miyama ◽  
Julian P. McCreary ◽  
Debasis Sengupta ◽  
Retish Senan
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Energy Levels ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Equatorial Indian Ocean ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Higher Order Modes ◽  
Model Control ◽  
Quikscat Winds

Abstract Variability of the wind field over the equatorial Indian Ocean is spread throughout the intraseasonal (10–60 day) band. In contrast, variability of the near-surface υ field in the eastern, equatorial ocean is concentrated at biweekly frequencies and is largely composed of Yanai waves. The excitation of this biweekly variability is investigated using an oceanic GCM and both analytic and numerical versions of a linear, continuously stratified (LCS) model in which solutions are represented as expansions in baroclinic modes. Solutions are forced by Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) winds (the model control runs) and by idealized winds having the form of a propagating wave with frequency σ and wavenumber kw. The GCM and LCS control runs are remarkably similar in the biweekly band, indicating that the dynamics of biweekly variability are fundamentally linear and wind driven. The biweekly response is composed of local (nonradiating) and remote (Yanai wave) parts, with the former spread roughly uniformly along the equator and the latter strengthening to the east. Test runs to the numerical models separately forced by the τx and τy components of the QuikSCAT winds demonstrate that both forcings contribute to the biweekly signal, the response forced by τy being somewhat stronger. Without mixing, the analytic spectrum for Yanai waves forced by idealized winds has a narrowband (resonant) response for each baroclinic mode: Spectral peaks occur whenever the wavenumber of the Yanai wave for mode n is sufficiently close to kw and they shift from biweekly to lower frequencies with increasing modenumber n. With mixing, the higher-order modes are damped so that the largest ocean response is restricted to Yanai waves in the biweekly band. Thus, in the LCS model, resonance and mixing act together to account for the ocean's favoring the biweekly band. Because of the GCM's complexity, it cannot be confirmed that vertical mixing also damps its higher-order modes; other possible processes are nonlinear interactions with near-surface currents, and the model's low vertical resolution below the thermocline. Test runs to the LCS model show that Yanai waves from several modes superpose to form a beam (wave packet) that carries energy downward as well as eastward. Reflections of such beams from the near-surface pycnocline and bottom act to maintain near-surface energy levels, accounting for the eastward intensification of the near-surface, equatorial υ field in the control runs.

Basin-Wide Connections of Upper-Ocean Temperature Variability in the Equatorial Indian Ocean

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-50
Author(s):  
Ge Song ◽  
Bohua Huang ◽  
Rongcai Ren ◽  
Zeng-Zhen Hu
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Equatorial Indian Ocean ◽  
Reanalysis Data ◽  
Upper Ocean ◽  
Ocean Temperature ◽  
Ocean Reanalysis ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Surface Warming ◽  
Transition Mechanism ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractIn this paper, the interannual variability of upper-ocean temperature in the equatorial Indian Ocean (IO) and its basin-wide connections are investigated using 58-year (1958-2015) comprehensive monthly mean ocean reanalysis data. Three leading modes of an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis dominate the variability of upper-ocean temperature in the equatorial IO in a wide range of timescales. A coherent interannual band within the first two EOF modes identifies an oscillation between the zonally tilting thermocline across the equatorial IO in its peak phases and basin-wide displacement of the equatorial thermocline in its transitional phases. Consistent with the recharge oscillation paradigm, this oscillation is inherent of the equatorial IO with a quasi-periodicity around 15 months, in which the wind-induced off-equatorial Rossby waves near 5°S-10°S provide the phase-transition mechanism. This intrinsic IO oscillation provides the biennial component in the observed IOD variations. The third leading mode shows a nonlinear long-term trend of the upper-ocean temperature, including the near-surface warming along the equatorial Indian Ocean, accompanied by cooling trend in the lower thermocline originating further south. Such vertical contrary trends may lead to an enhanced stratification in the equatorial IO.

scholarly journals Biogeochemical variability in the equatorial Indian Ocean during the monsoon transition

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 6185-6219 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. G. Strutton ◽  
V. J. Coles ◽  
R. R. Hood ◽  
R. J. Matear ◽  
M. J. McPhaden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Equatorial Indian Ocean ◽  
Shear Instability ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Turbulent Entrainment ◽  
Physical Measurements ◽  
Satellite Chlorophyll ◽  
Chlorophyll Concentrations

Abstract. In this paper we examine time-series measurements of near-surface chlorophyll concentration from a mooring that was deployed at 80.5° E on the equator in the Indian Ocean in 2010. These data reveal at least six striking spikes in chlorophyll in October through December, with approximately 2 week periodicity, that coincide with the development of the fall Wyrtki jets during the transition between the summer and winter monsoons. Concurrent meteorological and in situ physical measurements from the mooring reveal that the chlorophyll pulses are associated with intensification of eastward winds at the surface and eastward currents in the mixed layer. These observations are inconsistent with upwelling dynamics as occurs in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, since eastward winds that force Wyrtki jet intensification should drive downwelling. The chlorophyll spikes could be explained by two alternative mechanisms: (1) turbulent entrainment of nutrients and/or chlorophyll from across the base of the mixed layer by wind stirring or Wyrtki jet-induced shear instability; or (2) enhanced horizontal advection of high chlorophyll concentrations into the convergent equatorial zone. The first mechanism is supported by the phasing and amplitude of the relationship between wind stress and chlorophyll, which suggests that the chlorophyll spikes are the result of turbulent entrainment driven by synoptic zonal wind events. The second mechanism is supported by satellite chlorophyll observations that reveal a clear connection between the increased chlorophyll concentrations at the mooring location and larger-scale topographic wake effects from the Chagos–Lacadive Ridge upstream. The biweekly periodicity of the chlorophyll spikes appears to be related to the presence of mixed Rossby-gravity waves, also known as Yanai waves, which can be seen throughout the time-series as a biweekly periodicity in the meridional velocities with upward phase propagation. Consistent with hypothesis 2, eastward flows over the Chagos–Lacadive Ridge generate high chlorophyll concentrations to the north of the equator and periodic southward advection in the meridional flows associated with Yanai waves produces the chlorophyll spikes that are observed in the mooring record. Yanai waves may also contribute to vertical shear across the base of the mixed layer that could help support entrainment. The OFAM3 eddy-resolving model suggests that both of our proposed mechanisms may be important. Climatological satellite chlorophyll data show that the elevated chlorophyll concentrations in this region are consistently observed year after year and so are reflective of recurring large-scale wind and circulation-induced productivity enhancement in the central equatorial Indian Ocean.

scholarly journals Biogeochemical variability in the central equatorial Indian Ocean during the monsoon transition

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 2367-2382 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. G. Strutton ◽  
V. J. Coles ◽  
R. R. Hood ◽  
R. J. Matear ◽  
M. J. McPhaden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Chlorophyll Concentration ◽  
Equatorial Indian Ocean ◽  
Shear Instability ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Turbulent Entrainment ◽  
Physical Measurements ◽  
Chlorophyll Concentrations

Abstract. In this paper we examine time-series measurements of near-surface chlorophyll concentration from a mooring that was deployed at 80.5°E on the equator in the Indian Ocean in 2010. These data reveal at least six striking spikes in chlorophyll from October through December, at approximately 2-week intervals, that coincide with the development of the fall Wyrtki jets during the transition between the summer and winter monsoons. Concurrent meteorological and in situ physical measurements from the mooring reveal that the chlorophyll pulses are associated with the intensification of eastward winds at the surface and eastward currents in the mixed layer. These observations are inconsistent with upwelling dynamics as they occur in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, since eastward winds that force Wyrtki jet intensification should drive downwelling. The chlorophyll spikes could be explained by two alternative mechanisms: (1) turbulent entrainment of nutrients and/or chlorophyll from across the base of the mixed layer by wind stirring or Wyrtki jet-induced shear instability or (2) enhanced southward advection of high chlorophyll concentrations into the equatorial zone. The first mechanism is supported by the phasing and amplitude of the relationship between wind stress and chlorophyll, which suggests that the chlorophyll spikes are the result of turbulent entrainment driven by synoptic zonal wind events. The second mechanism is supported by the observation of eastward flows over the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge, generating high chlorophyll to the north of the equator. Occasional southward advection can then produce the chlorophyll spikes that are observed in the mooring record. Wind-forced biweekly mixed Rossby gravity waves are a ubiquitous feature of the ocean circulation in this region, and we examine the possibility that they may play a role in chlorophyll variability. Statistical analyses and results from the OFAM3 (Ocean Forecasting Australia Model, version 3) eddy-resolving model provide support for both mechanisms. However, the model does not reproduce the observed spikes in chlorophyll. Climatological satellite chlorophyll data show that the elevated chlorophyll concentrations in this region are consistently observed year after year and so are reflective of recurring large-scale wind- and circulation-induced productivity enhancement in the central equatorial Indian Ocean.

scholarly journals Secular and orbital-scale variability of equatorial Indian Ocean summer monsoon winds during the late Miocene

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara T. Bolton ◽  
Emmeline Gray ◽  
Wolfgang Kuhnt ◽  
Ann E. Holbourn ◽  
Julia Lübbers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
Late Miocene ◽  
Asian Monsoon ◽  
Equatorial Indian Ocean ◽  
South Asian Monsoon ◽  
The South ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Monsoon Winds

Abstract. In the modern northern Indian Ocean, biological productivity is intimately linked to near-surface oceanographic dynamics forced by the South Asian, or Indian, monsoon. In the late Pleistocene, this strong seasonal signal is transferred to the sedimentary record as strong variance in the precession band (19–23 kyr) because precession dominates low-latitude insolation variations and drives seasonal contrast in oceanographic conditions. In addition, internal climate system feedbacks (e.g. ice-sheet albedo, carbon cycle, topography) play a key role in monsoon variability. Little is known about orbital-scale variability of the monsoon in the pre-Pleistocene, when atmospheric CO2 levels and global temperatures were higher. In addition, many questions remain open regarding the timing of the initiation and intensification of the South Asian monsoon during the Miocene, an interval of significant global climate change that culminated in bipolar glaciation. Here, we present new high-resolution (< 1 kyr) records of export productivity and sediment accumulation from International Ocean Discovery Program Site U1443 in the southernmost Bay of Bengal spanning the late Miocene and earliest Pliocene (9 to 5 million years ago). Underpinned by a new orbitally-tuned benthic isotope stratigraphy, we use X-Ray Fluorescence-derived biogenic barium variations to discern productivity trends and rhythms. Our data show strong eccentricity-modulated precession-band productivity variations throughout the late Miocene, interpreted to reflect insolation forcing of summer monsoon wind strength in the equatorial Indian Ocean. On long timescales, our data support the interpretation that South Asian monsoon winds were already established by 9 Ma, with no apparent intensification over the late Miocene.

scholarly journals Zonal Propagation of Near-Surface Zonal Currents in Relation to Surface Wind Forcing in the Equatorial Indian Ocean

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
pp. 3623-3638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Motoki Nagura ◽  
Michael J. McPhaden
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Phase Speed ◽  
Equatorial Indian Ocean ◽  
Wind Forcing ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
Ocean Reanalysis ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Zonal Velocity ◽  
Zonal Propagation

AbstractZonal propagation of zonal velocity along the equator in the Indian Ocean and its relationship with wind forcing are investigated with a focus on seasonal time scales using in situ observations from four acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) and an ocean reanalysis dataset. The results show that the zonal phase speed of zonal currents varies depending on season and depth in a very complicated way in relation to surface wind forcing. Surface layer zonal velocity propagates to the west in northern spring but to the east in fall in response to zonally propagating surface zonal winds, while in the pycnocline zonal phase speed is related to wind-forced ocean wave dynamics. In the western half of the analysis domain (78°–83°E), zonal phase speed in the pycnocline is eastward all year, which is attributed to the radiation of Kelvin waves forced in the western basin. In the eastern half of the domain (80°–90°E), zonal phase speed is westward at 50- to 100-m depths in northern fall, but eastward above and below, most likely due to Rossby waves generated at the eastern boundary.

scholarly journals A biological Indian Ocean Dipole event in 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Shi ◽  
Menghua Wang
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Indian Ocean Dipole ◽  
Infrared Imaging ◽  
Equatorial Indian Ocean ◽  
The West ◽  
Indian Ocean Dipole Event ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Positive Indian Ocean Dipole ◽  
Dipole Response

AbstractThe 2019 positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event in the boreal autumn was the most serious IOD event of the century with reports of significant sea surface temperature (SST) changes in the east and west equatorial Indian Ocean. Observations of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) between 2012 and 2020 are used to study the significant biological dipole response that occurred in the equatorial Indian Ocean following the 2019 positive IOD event. For the first time, we propose, identify, characterize, and quantify the biological IOD. The 2019 positive IOD event led to anomalous biological activity in both the east IOD zone and west IOD zone. The average chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration reached over ~ 0.5 mg m−3 in 2019 in comparison to the climatology Chl-a of ~ 0.3 mg m−3 in the east IOD zone. In the west IOD zone, the biological activity was significantly depressed. The depressed Chl-a lasted until May 2020. The anomalous ocean biological activity in the east IOD zone was attributed to the advection of the higher-nutrient surface water due to enhanced upwelling. On the other hand, the dampened ocean biological activity in the west IOD zone was attributed to the stronger convergence of the surface waters than that in a normal year.

scholarly journals On the Generation and Salinity Impacts of Intraseasonal Westward Jets in the Equatorial Indian Ocean

2020 ◽  
Vol 125 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebenezer S. Nyadjro ◽  
Adam V. Rydbeck ◽  
Tommy G. Jensen ◽  
James G. Richman ◽  
Jay F. Shriver
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Equatorial Indian Ocean
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