AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Editors' Highlight

Indian Ocean response to anomalous conditions in 2006

The thermal structure of the equatorial Indian Ocean is characterized by warmer temperatures in the east and cooler temperatures in the west. During certain years, this pattern switches to an anomalous condition known as the Indian Ocean dipole; one such dipole event occurred during 2006. Vinayachandran et al. (2007) studied satellite observations over the oceans and found that the eastern Indian Ocean not only exhibited colder sea surface temperatures, but also showed lower sea levels and higher chlorophyll content than normal. By contrast, the western Indian Ocean was marked by warmer sea surface temperatures, higher sea level, and a steep, deeper thermocline. The authors modeled this event using an ocean general circulation model forced with satellite-derived wind data. Their reproductions matched well with the actual event, and revealed that air-sea heat fluxes initiated the cold sea surface temperatures in the east, which were sustained by ocean dynamics. Similar fluxes fueled the warm surface temperatures in the west. The event reverted back to initial conditions in the fall of 2006.

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