Evolution of the climatological near‐surface thermal structure of the tropical Indian Ocean: 1. Description of mean monthly mixed layer depth, and sea surface temperature, surface current, and surface meteorological fields

Abstract

Mean monthly mixed layer depth (MLD), sea surface temperature (SST), and surface current climatologies are generated for the tropical Indian Ocean. In addition, surface meteorological climatologies are produced for those variables which could influence the evolution of the MLD and SST fields. Only the MLD climatology is described in detail, as climatologies for the other variables have appeared previously in the literature. The sum of the annual and semiannual harmonics account for greater than 75% of the energy in the MLD time series over most of the basin. The amplitude of the annual signal is greater than 20 m between 10°S and 25°S, with deepest MLDs observed during the southern hemisphere winter. The south central Arabian Sea, between the equator and 10°N, and the northern Arabian Sea are also regions of larger annual harmonic amplitude (>15 m). The amplitude of the semiannual harmonic is largest in the central Arabian Sea (>25 m). Deepest MLDs are observed there during the height of the two monsoon seasons. Correlation coefficients are computed between MLD and SST and several other oceanographic and meteorological variables to explore possible causal relationships. Net energy flux through the sea surface can account for 75% of the variance in the SST and MLD time series over most of the region south of the equator. Large coefficients are also observed in the northwestern Arabian Sea. Correlations between SST and MLD and surface currents are in general small throughout the region, with maxima observed in the central Arabian Sea, in the vicinity of the South Equatorial Current and in the extreme eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. These correlations will be examined in more detail in part 2 of this study in which simple models of mixed layer dynamics are employed.

Holocene evolution of summer winds and marine productivity in the tropical Indian Ocean in response to insolation forcing: data-model comparison

“…These changes result either from local adjustments or from wave propagation. In March, the mixed layer depth is also deeper on both sides of the tip of India (Rao et al, 1989). Climate simulations indicate that salinity has a strong impact on the northern Indian Ocean stratification and surface warming and is likely to govern the date of onset of the summer monsoon (Masson et al, 2005).…”

Comparison of mixed layer depth and barrier layer thickness for the Indian Ocean using two different climatologies

“…For the Indian Ocean, there are several reported works on MLD climatology such as Colborn (1975), Hastenrath and Greisher (1989), Rao et al (1989) and Levitus (1982). On the basis of these reports, MLD is maximum during the southwest and northeast monsoon periods with existence of minimum MLD during the months of April and May in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.…”

Air-Sea Interaction, Coastal Circulation and Primary Production in the Eastern Arabian Sea: A Review

“…With the alongshore wind stress component directed toward the equator, upwelling occurs along the Kerala coast during both monsoons (Shetye, 1984). During the winter monsoon, a high SST cooling increases mixed layer thickness by ~100 m north of 20°N (Rao et al, 1989;Prasad, 1996) owing to a decrease in solar radiation and to high evaporation (Prasad, 1997) enhanced by dry northeasterly winds (Kumar and Prasad, 1996).…”