FastFind »   Lastname: doi:10.1029/ Year: | Advanced Search  

AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Index Terms

  • Oceanography: Physical: Eddies and mesoscale processes
  • Oceanography: Physical: Internal and inertial waves
  • Oceanography: Physical: Upper ocean processes

Abstract

The influence of subseasonal wind variability on tropical instability waves in the Pacific

R. E. Benestad

Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Oxford, United Kingdom

R. T. Sutton

Reading University, United Kingdom

M. R. Allen

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, United Kingdom

D. L. T. Anderson

Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Oxford, United Kingdom

Tropical Instability Waves are a prominent feature in analyses of tropical Pacific sea surface temperature and sea level height variability, and may play a significant role in the heat, salt and momentum budgets of the equatorial oceans. Here we show that they may be strongly influenced by forcing from the atmosphere. In experiments with an ocean GCM we find that a phase shift in the subseasonal wind forcing gives rise to a corresponding phase shift in the TIWs, indicating a systematic influence of the high frequency wind forcing.

Received 1 November 2000; accepted 28 February 2001; .

Citation: Benestad, R. E., R. T. Sutton, M. R. Allen, and D. L. T. Anderson (2001), The influence of subseasonal wind variability on tropical instability waves in the Pacific, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28(10), 2041–2044.

Cited By

Please wait one moment ...