scholarly journals Sea Level Seasonal, Interannual and Decadal Variability in the Tropical Pacific Ocean

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 3809
Author(s):  
Jianhu Wang ◽  
Juan Li ◽  
Jiyuan Yin ◽  
Wei Tan ◽  
Yuchen Liu
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Dynamic Process ◽  
Steric Effect ◽  
Wind Forcing ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Sea Level Variations ◽  
Local Wind Forcing ◽  
The Tropical Pacific

The satellite altimeter data, temperature and salinity data, and 1.5-layer reduced gravity model are used to quantitatively evaluate the contributions of the steric effect and the dynamic process to sea level variations in the Tropical Pacific Ocean (TPO) on different time scales. Concurrently, it also analyses the influence of wind forcing over the different regions of the Pacific Ocean on the sea level variations in the TPO. Seasonal sea level variations in the TPO were the most important in the middle and eastern regions of the 5°–15°N latitude zone, explaining 40–60% of the monthly mean sea level variations. Both the steric effect and dynamic process jointly affected the seasonal sea level variations. Among them, the steric effect was dominant, contributing over 70% in most regions of the TPO, while the dynamic process primarily acted near the equator and southwest regions, contributing approximately 55–85%. At the same time, the seasonal dynamic sea level variations were caused by the combined actions of primarily local wind forcing, alongside subtropical north Pacific wind forcing. On the interannual to decadal time scale, the sea level interannual variations were significant in the northwestern, southwestern, and middle eastern regions of the TPO and explained 45–60% of the monthly mean sea level variations. The decadal sea level variations were the most intense in the eastern Philippine Sea, contributing 25–45% to the monthly mean sea level variations. The steric effect and the dynamic process can explain 100% of the interannual to decadal sea level variations. The contribution of the steric effect was generally high, accounting for more than 85% in the regions near the equator. The impact of the dynamic process was mainly concentrated in the northwest, northeast, and southern regions of the TPO, contributing approximately 55–80%. Local wind forcing is the leading role of interannual to decadal sea level variations. The combined actions of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) can explain 90% of the interannual to decadal sea level variations in the northwestern and eastern of the TPO.

scholarly journals Decadal Sea Level Variability in the Pacific Ocean: Origins and Climate Mode Contributions

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 689-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingsheng Meng ◽  
Wei Zhuang ◽  
Weiwei Zhang ◽  
Angela Ditri ◽  
Xiao-Hai Yan
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Time Scales ◽  
Wind Stress ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Central Basin ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Pacific Ocean ◽  
Sea Level Variations ◽  
The Tropical Pacific

AbstractSea level changes within wide temporal–spatial scales have great influence on oceanic and atmospheric circulations. Efforts have been made to identify long-term sea level trend and regional sea level variations on different time scales. A nonuniform sea level rise in the tropical Pacific and the strengthening of the easterly trade winds from 1993 to 2012 have been widely reported. It is well documented that sea level in the tropical Pacific is associated with the typical climate modes. However, sea level change on interannual and decadal time scales still requires more research. In this study, the Pacific sea level anomaly (SLA) was decomposed into interannual and decadal time scales via an ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method. The temporal–spatial features of the SLA variability in the Pacific were examined and were closely associated with climate variability modes. Moreover, decadal SLA oscillations in the Pacific Ocean were identified during 1993–2016, with the phase reversals around 2000, 2004, and 2012. In the tropical Pacific, large sea level variations in the western and central basin were a result of changes in the equatorial wind stress. Moreover, coherent decadal changes could also be seen in wind stress, sea surface temperature (SST), subtropical cells (STCs), and thermocline depth. Our work provided a new way to illustrate the interannual and decadal sea level variations in the Pacific Ocean and suggested a coupled atmosphere–ocean variability on a decadal time scale in the tropical region with two cycles from 1993 to 2016.

scholarly journals Sea Level Variations in the Tropical Pacific Ocean and the Madden–Julian Oscillation

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 1984-1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Zhang ◽  
Youyu Lu ◽  
Keith R. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Zonal Wind ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Kelvin Waves ◽  
Madden Julian Oscillation ◽  
Tropical Pacific Ocean ◽  
Narrow Strip ◽  
Sea Level Variations ◽  
The Tropical Pacific

Abstract Satellite observations of sea level and surface wind from the tropical Pacific Ocean, and their relationship to the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), are analyzed using a combination of statistical techniques and a simple, physically based model. Wavenumber–frequency analysis reveals that sea level variations at the equator contain prominent eastward-propagating signals as the intraseasonal Kelvin waves. The component of sea level variation that is coherent with the MJO (ηMJO) is concentrated in a narrow strip along the equator between 150°E and 110°W. To explain the physical forcing of ηMJO, the component of zonal wind stress that is coherent with the MJO is also calculated. It is shown that is strongest in the western Pacific, but the MJO accounts for a higher percentage of the wind variance in the central equatorial Pacific. A simple linear model of the Kelvin waves, based on a first-order wave equation forced by and with a linear damping term included, successfully reproduces ηMJO. It is also shown that zonal wind variations to the east of the date line act to increase the apparent propagation speeds of the Kelvin waves.

scholarly journals Combining probability distributions of sea level variations and wave run-up to evaluate coastal flooding risks

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulpu Leijala ◽  
Jan-Victor Björkqvist ◽  
Milla M. Johansson ◽  
Havu Pellikka ◽  
Lauri Laakso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Joint Effect ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
Safety Margins ◽  
Acceptable Risks ◽  
Flooding Hazards ◽  
Sea Level Variations ◽  
Run Up

Abstract. Tools for estimating probabilities of flooding hazards caused by the simultaneous effect of sea level and waves are needed for the secure planning of densely populated coastal areas that are strongly vulnerable to climate change. In this paper we present a method for combining location-specific probability distributions of three different components: (1) long-term mean sea level change, (2) short-term sea level variations, and (3) wind-generated waves. We apply the method in two locations in the Helsinki Archipelago to obtain run-up level estimates representing the joint effect of the still water level and the wave run-up. These estimates for the present, 2050 and 2100 are based on field measurements and mean sea level scenarios. In the case of our study locations, the significant locational variability of the wave conditions leads to a difference in the safe building levels of up to one meter. The rising mean sea level in the Gulf of Finland and the uncertainty related to the associated scenarios contribute significantly to the run-up levels for the year 2100. We also present a sensitivity test of the method and discuss its applicability to other coastal regions. Our approach allows for the determining of different building levels based on the acceptable risks for various infrastructure, thus reducing building costs while maintaining necessary safety margins.

scholarly journals Wind- versus Eddy-Forced Regional Sea Level Trends and Variability in the North Pacific Ocean

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 1561-1577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Qiu ◽  
Shuiming Chen ◽  
Lixin Wu ◽  
Shinichiro Kida
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Momentum Flux ◽  
North Pacific Ocean ◽  
Kuroshio Extension ◽  
The Past ◽  
The North ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Regional Sea Level ◽  
Sea Level Trend

Abstract Regional sea level trend and variability in the Pacific Ocean have often been considered to be induced by low-frequency surface wind changes. This study demonstrates that significant sea level trend and variability can also be generated by eddy momentum flux forcing due to time-varying instability of the background oceanic circulation. Compared to the broad gyre-scale wind-forced variability, the eddy-forced sea level changes tend to have subgyre scales and, in the North Pacific Ocean, they are largely confined to the Kuroshio Extension region (30°–40°N, 140°–175°E) and the Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC) region (18°–28°N, 130°–175°E). Using a two-layer primitive equation model driven by the ECMWF wind stress data and the eddy momentum fluxes specified by the AVISO sea surface height anomaly data, the relative importance of the wind- and eddy-forced regional sea level trends in the past two decades is quantified. It is found that the increasing (decreasing) trend south (north) of the Kuroshio Extension is due to strengthening of the regional eddy forcing over the past two decades. On the other hand, the decreasing (increasing) sea level trend south (north) of the STCC is caused by the decadal weakening of the regional eddy momentum flux forcing. These decadal eddy momentum flux changes are caused by the background Kuroshio Extension and STCC changes in connection with the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) wind pattern shifting from a positive to a negative phase over the past two decades.

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