Air- Sea Interactions in the Southwest Tropical Indian Ocean
Abstract
The Southwest Tropical Indian Ocean (SWTIO) features a unique, seasonal upwelling of the thermocline also known as the Seychelles-Chagos Thermocline Ridge (SCTR; 55°E-65°E, 5°S-12°S). Past research provides evidence for more tropical cyclone days over the SWTIO during austral summer with a deep thermocline ridge than in austral summer with a shallow thermocline ridge. Normally more cyclones form over the SWTIO when the thermocline is deeper, which has a positive relation to the arrival of downwelling Rossby waves originating in the southeast tropical Indian Ocean due to the anomalous effects of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El Niño. With a particular focus on 2012/2013, this study reveals the dynamic properties of the SCTR that play an important role in the modulation of tropical cycles in the SWTIO. In addition to influencing cyclogeneis in the SCTR region, remote processes such as IOD and ENSO are also primary drivers of the SCTR interannual variability with respect to both ocean temperature and salinity.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFMOS11B..02B
- Keywords:
-
- 4215 Climate and interannual variability;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERALDE: 4522 ENSO;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICALDE: 4532 General circulation;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICALDE: 4556 Sea level: variations and mean;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICAL