Sea surface temperature and salinity seasonal changes in the western Solomon and Bismarck Seas

Delcroix, Thierry; Radenac, Marie-Hélène; Cravatte, Sophie; Alory, Gaël; Gourdeau, Lionel; Léger, Fabien; Singh, Awnesh; Varillon, David

doi:10.1002/2013jc009733

Cited by 15 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Chlorophyll above 0.25 mg m −3 is found very close to the coast and in the Sepik and Mamberamo plumes. Relatively high values are probably biased because of particulate matter [ Milliman et al ., ] although the river discharge and rainfall are the lowest in winter [ Smith et al ., ; Delcroix et al ., ]. However, high nitrate and chlorophyll concentrations were measured at coastal stations while oligotrophic conditions (low chlorophyll and nitrate‐depleted surface layer, deep chlorophyll maximum, and numerous Prochlorococcus) similar to those of the western equatorial Pacific prevailed in the central Bismarck Sea [ Colin et al ., ; Higgins et al ., ].…”

Section: Seasonal Variationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The coastal current vein is 120 km wide east of Vitiaz Strait (track 099) and 100–200 km west of the strait (Figure b). It is the widest (near 200 km) along tracks 023 and 201 in agreement with the surface current issued from the 1/12° Ocean General Circulation Model (OGCM) [ Delcroix et al ., ] developed by the DRAKKAR group [ Gourdeau et al ., ]. A southwestward flow entering the Bismarck Sea between Manus Island and New Ireland merges with the along‐coast current at this location in winter.…”

Section: Seasonal Variationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the distribution of rainfall varies regionally because of the mountainous character of the islands and disparities are found among different rain products [ Smith et al ., ]. Because of the monsoonal aspect of precipitation, the Sepik River runoff is maximum in March–April and minimum in August–September [ Kineke et al ., ; Delcroix et al ., ]. Its discharge diminishes during El Niño events [ Kineke et al ., ; Higgins et al ., ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Its variability is low in the Bismarck Sea while it is higher in the Solomon Sea (Figure d). Observations along transects off the New Guinea coast during the northwest monsoon showed cool and salty waters near the coast as a consequence of the wind‐driven upwelling [ Lukas , ; Kuroda , ; Ueki et al ., ; Delcroix et al ., ]. Such relatively low SST impacts the heat budget of the upper layer of the warm pool and may influence the onset of El Niño events [ Hasegawa et al ., ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, Delcroix et al . [] showed that seasonal advection of cooler waters from the Solomon Sea is another source of cooling in the region. How these two processes combine and how they vary at the intraseasonal, seasonal, and interannual time scales remains to be analyzed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wind‐driven changes of surface current, temperature, and chlorophyll observed by satellites north of New Guinea

et al. 2016

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Satellite observations of wind, sea level and derived currents, sea surface temperature (SST), and chlorophyll are used to expand our understanding of the physical and biological variability of the ocean surface north of New Guinea. Based on scarce cruise and mooring data, previous studies differentiated a trade wind situation (austral winter) when the New Guinea Coastal Current (NGCC) flows northwestward and a northwest monsoon situation (austral summer) when a coastal upwelling develops and the NGCC reverses. This circulation pattern is confirmed by satellite observations, except in Vitiaz Strait where the surface northwestward flow persists. We find that intraseasonal and seasonal time scale variations explain most of the variance north of New Guinea. SST and chlorophyll variabilities are mainly driven by two processes: penetration of Solomon Sea waters and coastal upwelling. In the trade wind situation, the NGCC transports cold Solomon Sea waters through Vitiaz Strait in a narrow vein hugging the coast. Coastal upwelling is generated in westerly wind situations (westerly wind event, northwest monsoon). Highly productive coastal waters are advected toward the equator and, during some westerly wind events, toward the eastern part of the warm pool. During El Niño, coastal upwelling events and northward penetration of Solomon Sea waters combine to influence SST and chlorophyll anomalies.

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Section: Seasonal Variationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Seasonal Variationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wind‐driven changes of surface current, temperature, and chlorophyll observed by satellites north of New Guinea

et al. 2016

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The Southwest Pacific Ocean circulation and climate experiment (SPICE)

Ganachaud

Cravatte

Melet

et al. 2014

J. Geophys. Res. Oceans

122

110

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The Southwest Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate Experiment (SPICE) is an international research program under the auspices of CLIVAR. The key objectives are to understand the Southwest Pacific Ocean circulation and the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) dynamics, as well as their influence on regional and basin-scale climate patterns. South Pacific thermocline waters are transported in the westward flowing South Equatorial Current (SEC) toward Australia and Papua-New Guinea. On its way, the SEC encounters the numerous islands and straits of the Southwest Pacific and forms boundary currents and jets that eventually redistribute water to the equator and high latitudes. The transit in the Coral, Solomon, and Tasman Seas is of great importance to the climate system because changes in either the temperature or the amount of water arriving at the equator have the capability to modulate the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, while the southward transports influence the climate and biodiversity in the Tasman Sea. After 7 years of substantial in situ oceanic observational and modeling efforts, our understanding of the region has much improved. We have a refined description of the SPCZ behavior, boundary currents, pathways, and water mass transformation, including the previously undocumented Solomon Sea. The transports are large and vary substantially in a counter-intuitive way, with asymmetries and gating effects that depend on time scales. This paper provides a review of recent advancements and discusses our current knowledge gaps and important emerging research directions.

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Causes for intraseasonal sea surface salinity variability in the western tropical Pacific Ocean and its seasonality

Han

2016

JGR Oceans

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Pronounced intraseasonal variability (ISV; 20–90 day) of sea surface salinity (SSS) with a standard deviation of 0.12–0.20 psu is detected in the western tropical Pacific Ocean (PO) from measurements of Aquarius/SAC‐D satellite. These variations are not spatially uniform but show distinct regional features. The Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) well simulated the observed SSS variations, and a suite of parallel experiments were performed to understand the underlying physical processes. Surface forcing by atmospheric intraseasonal oscillations which are dominated by the Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) is largely responsible for producing the SSS ISV, while ocean internal variability plays a secondary role. Impact of atmospheric forcing is primarily through precipitation and wind stress‐driven oceanic processes. Their relative importance shows spatial variations. They have approximately equal importance in the western equatorial PO west of 155°E and the southwestern tropical PO. Wind stress effect dominates SSS ISV in the equatorial PO east of 155°E, while precipitation effect is larger in the northwestern tropical PO. In comparison, the effect of evaporation induced by wind speed change is smaller. The SSS ISV also shows evident seasonality in some areas, particularly in the far western equatorial basin and southwestern tropical PO. During boreal summer (winter), SSS ISV is enhanced (weakened) in the northwestern PO and weakened (enhanced) in the southwestern PO. Comparing with the strength of atmospheric forcing, seasonal variation of the ocean state, especially the mixed layer depth, is generally more important in causing such seasonality.

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Sea surface temperature and salinity seasonal changes in the western Solomon and Bismarck Seas

Abstract: We analyze mean and seasonal change of Sea

Cited by 15 publications

References 51 publications

Wind‐driven changes of surface current, temperature, and chlorophyll observed by satellites north of New Guinea

Wind‐driven changes of surface current, temperature, and chlorophyll observed by satellites north of New Guinea

The Southwest Pacific Ocean circulation and climate experiment (SPICE)

Causes for intraseasonal sea surface salinity variability in the western tropical Pacific Ocean and its seasonality

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