The Monsoon Circulation of the Arabian Sea
Abstract
Analyses of data collected by the Northern Arabian Sea Circulation, Autonomous Research program focused on understanding the physics that govern the annual cycle of stratification, water mass variability and circulation in the Arabian Sea. Collaborative analyses of data collected by long endurance gliders and Pressure Inverted Echo sounders (PIES) capture wintertime export of freshwater within the Sri Lanka current and document the existence of an undercurrent that opposes the surface flow. Four years of repeat occupations of a section extending southward from the southern tip of Sri Lanka document westward, near-surface flow hugging the Sri Lanka coast, transporting freshwater from the Bay of Bengal into the Arabian Sea during the Northeast Monsoon. The circulation reverses and moves offshore during the Southwest Monsoon, with more saline waters from the northern Arabian Sea carried into the Bay of Bengal by eastward, subsurface flow. Additional efforts focused on the physics of Arabian Sea barrier layers and on circulation over the Seychelles Plateau.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 10, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1115147
Entities
People
- Craig Lee
- Jason I. Gobat
- Luc Rainville
Organizations
- University of Washington