Bay of Bengal Intraseasonal Oscillations and the Upper Ocean Mesoscale
Abstract
The growing field of in situ and satellite observational data sets provide a detailedview of spatial and temporal patterns of the ocean, including meso-scale features. Anelement of my research is the study the relationship of ocean mesoscale to the regionaloceanography within the maritime continent and tropical Indian Ocean, including its twonorthern embayments. As we learn more of the complex field of eddies within the Bay ofBengal my research interest is expanded into the realm of air-sea interaction associatedwith the ocean meso-scale features, including air-sea fluxes associated with tropicalcyclones (TC) and intraseasonal oscillation (ISO, e.g. Madden-Julian Oscillations, MJO),both of which strongly modulate regional rainfall. The regional scale air-sea coupling depends on the distribution of ocean and land, but I suspect that air-sea fluxes and ISO behavior is also affected by the spatial pattern of mesoscale features that are associated with varied strength of the barrier layer separating the buoyant mixed later from the cooler subsurface water. The properties of anticyclonic to cyclonic eddies, their unique stratification profiles, submeso-scale swirls and fronts, and the eddy numbers and distribution, all of which vary with monsoon phase, affect airsea exchange. The atmosphere sees not the sea surface climatology, but rather a flecked sea surface of relatively ~fresh~ and salty patches, that alter the access to the coolersubsurface stratum Might this flecked signal affect the behavior of the atmosphere TCand ISO? Goal- To investigate the role of the temporal variable flecked meso-scale sea surfacepattern in governing air-sea interaction and ISO/MJO characteristics.Objectives- 1. Changing patterns of surface layer mesoscale in the Bay of Bengal; 2.Ocean mesoscale and the atmosphere; 3.Upper ocean processes impact on ISO.The objectives are to be explored in a collaborative approach with the MISOBOBteam and others researchers dealing with the BoB complexities.Data sets to be used: Satellite: SST, SSS (Aquarius to May 2015, then SMAP topresent); sea surface height (AVISO, 1993-present); precipitation (Tropical RainfallMeasuring Mission, TRMM November 1997 to April 2015, the Global PrecipitationMeasurement (GPM) mission builds off of the TRMM mission); in situ observations:global observation programs (sea surface drifters and Argo profilers); CTD, Glider andmooring data from the ASIRI program.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 05, 2017
- Source ID
- N000141712394
Entities
People
- Arnold Gordon
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
- United States Navy