Rectified circulation of the Arabian Sea and its Seasonal Internal Wave Field
Abstract
At the western boundary of the Arabian Sea, the balance between local upwelling and advection, both across the equator into the Somali Current and through exchanges with the interior, are strong controls on upper ocean stratification and therefore on the sensitivity of the mixed layer and sea surface temperature (SST) to wind forcing and planetary wave effects (Lee et al., 2000; Tozuka et al., 2014). In turn, SST influences much-needed monsoon rainfall over the Indian subcontinent (Izumo et al., 2008). In the interior of the Arabian basin, fresh waters from the Bay of Bengal (Prasanna Kumar et al., 2004) can alter the stability and depth of the mixed layer, and cross-equatorial flow is an important component of the upper-ocean heat budget of the basin (Schott et al., 2009). Because the currents of the Arabian Sea are constantly adjusting to the dramatic reversal of the monsoon winds, and propagating signals are of primary importance, traditional studies of mapped static circulations lead to misconceptions about currents and their connectivity (Beal et al., 2013). To understand the residual circulation, as manifested by the fluctuating flow field, a particle tracking approach is needed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141512772
Entities
People
- Lisa M. Beal
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Miami