Ocean and Atmosphere Controls on Air-Sea Interaction in the Arabian Sea
Abstract
Approved for Public Release The Arabian Sea (AS) plays an important role in the onset of the South Asian summer monsoon over theIndian Subcontinent. In some years, the region of the Arabian Sea mini warm pool (ASMWP) becomes particularly warm prior to the monsoon#s onset, and cools after onset, while in other years the ASMWP is less developed. An overarching question is how the air-sea fluxes, atmospheric boundary layer stability, and winds are linked to the AS SST during the onset transition. Our specific objectives are twofold: (1) To examine the formation of the ASMWP and its interannual variability in relation to oceanic processes, and (2) to investigate the effect of the SST on air-sea heat fluxes and on the onset pattern of the Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon. We will use a combination of process modeling of the ocean and atmospheric column, ship-based and satellite observations, and reanalysis data sets to address these objectives. Localized air-sea heat fluxes, in relation to the oceanic and atmospheric boundary layers, will reveal when and where the ocean (or atmosphere) controls the air-sea exchange. Contrasting the ASMWP with the Northern Arabian Sea will help to strengthen our process understanding. Our analyses of SST, air-sea fluxes, and boundary layer stability will be related to the observed large-scale patterns in precipitation by examining the satellite and reanalysis data over the past 20 years.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 15, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312471
Entities
People
- Amala Mahadevan
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution