scholarly journals Resurfacing of South Pacific Tropical Water in the Equatorial Pacific and Its Variability Associated with ENSO

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 1095-1106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tangdong Qu ◽  
Shan Gao
Keyword(s):  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Equatorial Pacific ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Sea Surface Salinity ◽  
Freshwater Flux ◽  
Surface Salinity ◽  
Tropical Water ◽  
Analysis Of Results ◽  
South Pacific Tropical Water

AbstractAnalysis of results from a simulated passive tracer confirms the resurfacing of South Pacific Tropical Water in the equatorial Pacific. Over the period of integration (1993–2011), both the volume and barycenter of the South Pacific Tropical Water that resurfaces in the equatorial Pacific are tightly linked to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), with their correlation with the Niño-3.4 index reaching −0.79 and 0.84, respectively. Their correlation (−0.75 and 0.85) with the sea surface salinity index, Niño-S34.8, is also high. Of particular interest is that both the volume and barycenter of the resurfacing South Pacific Tropical Water peak earlier than the ENSO indices by about 3 months. On the interannual time scale, the resurfacing of South Pacific Tropical Water may modulate the sea surface salinity in the equatorial Pacific at a rate equivalent to as much as 25% of the surface freshwater flux. The results suggest that the resurfacing of South Pacific Tropical Water directly contributes to the sea surface salinity variability in the equatorial Pacific and potentially plays a role in ENSO evolution.

scholarly journals Response of Freshwater Flux and Sea Surface Salinity to Variability of the Atlantic Warm Pool

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 1249-1267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunzai Wang ◽  
Liping Zhang ◽  
Sang-Ki Lee
Keyword(s):  
Central America ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Warm Pool ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Sea Surface Salinity ◽  
Freshwater Flux ◽  
Surface Salinity ◽  
Atlantic Warm Pool ◽  
Mean Circulation ◽  
Circulation Dynamics

Abstract The response of freshwater flux and sea surface salinity (SSS) to the Atlantic warm pool (AWP) variations from seasonal to multidecadal time scales is investigated by using various reanalysis products and observations. All of the datasets show a consistent response for all time scales: A large (small) AWP is associated with a local freshwater gain (loss) to the ocean, less (more) moisture transport across Central America, and a local low (high) SSS. The moisture budget analysis demonstrates that the freshwater change is dominated by the atmospheric mean circulation dynamics, while the effect of thermodynamics is of secondary importance. Further decomposition points out that the contribution of the mean circulation dynamics primarily arises from its divergent part, which mainly reflects the wind divergent change in the low level as a result of SST change. In association with a large (small) AWP, warmer (colder) than normal SST over the tropical North Atlantic can induce anomalous low-level convergence (divergence), which favors anomalous ascent (decent) and thus generates more (less) precipitation. On the other hand, a large (small) AWP weakens (strengthens) the trade wind and its associated westward moisture transport to the eastern North Pacific across Central America, which also favors more (less) moisture residing in the Atlantic and hence more (less) precipitation. The results imply that variability of freshwater flux and ocean salinity in the North Atlantic associated with the AWP may have the potential to affect the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.

scholarly journals Subduction of South Pacific Tropical Water and Its Equatorward Pathways as Shown by a Simulated Passive Tracer*

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 1551-1565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tangdong Qu ◽  
Shan Gao ◽  
Rana A. Fine
Keyword(s):  
South Pacific ◽  
Equatorial Region ◽  
Equatorial Pacific ◽  
Western Boundary ◽  
Passive Tracer ◽  
Tropical Water ◽  
South Pacific Ocean ◽  
Equal Importance ◽  
Equatorial Thermocline ◽  
South Pacific Tropical Water

Abstract This study investigates the subduction of South Pacific Tropical Water (SPTW) and its equatorward pathways using a simulated passive tracer of the consortium Estimating the Circulation & Climate of the Ocean (ECCO). The results show that approximately 5.8 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) of the SPTW is formed in the subtropical South Pacific Ocean within the density range between 24.0 and 25.0 kg m−3, of which about 87% is due to vertical pumping and 13% is due to lateral induction, comparing reasonably well with estimates from climatological data. Once subducted, most SPTW spreads in the subtropical South Pacific. Because of the presence of mixing, some portion of the water is transformed, and its tracer-weighted density steadily increases from an initial value of 24.4 to nearly 25.0 kg m−3 after 13 years of integration. Approximately 42% of the water makes its way into the equatorial Pacific, either through the western boundary or interior pathway. The two equatorward pathways are essentially of equal importance. A large (~70%) portion of the SPTW entering the equatorial region resurfaces in the central equatorial Pacific. The potential impacts of the resurfacing SPTW on the equatorial thermocline and surface stratification are discussed.

Ocean Salinity Aspects of the Ningaloo Niño

2021 ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Yaru Guo ◽  
Yuanlong Li ◽  
Fan Wang ◽  
Yuntao Wei
Keyword(s):  
Fresh Water ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Sea Surface Salinity ◽  
Surface Salinity ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Ocean Salinity

AbstractNingaloo Niño – the interannually occurring warming episode in the southeast Indian Ocean (SEIO) – has strong signatures in ocean temperature and circulation and exerts profound impacts on regional climate and marine biosystems. Analysis of observational data and eddy-resolving regional ocean model simulations reveals that the Ningaloo Niño/Niña can also induce pronounced variability in ocean salinity, causing large-scale sea surface salinity (SSS) freshening of 0.15–0.20 psu in the SEIO during its warm phase. Model experiments are performed to understand the underlying processes. This SSS freshening is mutually caused by the increased local precipitation (~68%) and enhanced fresh-water transport of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF; ~28%) during Ningaloo Niño events. The effects of other processes, such as local winds and evaporation, are secondary (~18%). The ITF enhances the southward fresh-water advection near the eastern boundary, which is critical in causing the strong freshening (> 0.20 psu) near the Western Australian coast. Owing to the strong modulation effect of the ITF, SSS near the coast bears a higher correlation with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (0.57, 0.77, and 0.70 with Niño-3, Niño-4, and Niño-3.4 indices, respectively) than sea surface temperature (-0.27, -0.42, and -0.35) during 1993-2016. Yet, an idealized model experiment with artificial damping for salinity anomaly indicates that ocean salinity has limited impact on ocean near-surface stratification and thus minimal feedback effect on the warming of Ningaloo Niño.

scholarly journals Evidence of intense climate variation and reduced ENSO activity from δ<sup>18</sup>O of <i>Tridacna</i> 3700 years ago

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Hu ◽  
Xiaoming Sun ◽  
Hai Cheng ◽  
Hong Yan
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Sea Surface Salinity ◽  
Surface Salinity ◽  
Tropical Ocean ◽  
Xisha Islands ◽  
The North

Abstract. Tridacna is the largest marine bivalves in the tropical ocean, and its carbonate shell can shed light on high-resolution paleoclimate reconstruction. In this contribution, δ18Oshell was used to estimate the climatic variation in the Xisha Islands of the South China Sea. We first evaluate the sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface salinity (SSS) influence on modern rehandled monthly (r-monthly) resolution Tridacna gigas δ18Oshell. The obtained results reveal that δ18Oshell seasonal variation is mainly controlled by SST and appear insensitive to local SSS change. Thus, the δ18O of Tridacna shells can be roughly used as a proxy of the local SST: a 1 ‰ δ18Oshell change is roughly equal to 4.41 °C of SST. R-monthly δ18O of a 40-year Tridacna squamosa (3673 ± 28 BP) from the North Reef of Xisha Islands was analyzed and compared with the modern specimen. The difference between the average δ18O of fossil Tridacna shell (δ18O = −1.34 ‰) and modern Tridacna specimen (δ18O = −1.15 ‰) probably implies a warm climate with roughly 0.84°C higher in 3700 years ago. The seasonal variation in 3700 years ago was slightly decreased compared with that suggested by the instrument data, and the switching between warm and cold-seasons was rapid. Higher amplitude in r-monthly and r-annual reconstructed SST anomalies implies an enhanced climate variability in this past warm period. Investigation of the El Ninõ-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variation (based on the reconstructed SST series) indicates a reduced ENSO frequency but more extreme El Ninõ events in 3700 years ago.

Paleoclimate Sampling as a Sensor Placement Problem

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (19) ◽  
pp. 7717-7740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maud Comboul ◽  
Julien Emile-Geay ◽  
Gregory J. Hakim ◽  
Michael N. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Network Design ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Sea Surface Salinity ◽  
System Model ◽  
Surface Salinity ◽  
Placement Problem ◽  
Climate System Model ◽  
Optimal Networks

Abstract This study formulates the design of optimal observing networks for past surface climate conditions as the solution to a data assimilation problem, given a realistic proxy system model (PSM), paleoclimate observational uncertainties, and a network of current and proposed observing sites. The method is illustrated with the design of optimal networks of coral δ18O records, chosen among candidate sites, and used to jointly infer sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface salinity (SSS) fields from the Community Climate System Model, version 4, last millennium simulation over the 1850–2005 period. It is shown that an existing paleo-observing network accounts for approximately 20% of the SST variance, and that adding 25 to 100 optimal pseudocoral sites would boost this fraction to 35%–52%. Characterizing the SST variance alone, or jointly with the SSS, leads to similar optimal networks, which justifies using coral δ18O records for SST reconstructions. In contrast, the network design for reconstructing SSS alone is fundamentally different, emphasizing the hydroclimatic centers of action of El Niño–Southern Oscillation. In all cases, network design depends strongly on the amplitude of the observational error, so replicates may be more beneficial than the exploration of new sites; these replicates tend to be chosen where proxies are already informative of the large-scale climate field(s). Finally, extensions to other types of paleoclimatic observations are discussed, and a path to operationalization is outlined.

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