Variations of SST and Thermocline Depth in the Tropical Indian Ocean During Indian Ocean Dipole Events

Interannual variations in the surface and subsurface tropical Indian Ocean were studied using HadlSST and SODA datasets. Wind and heat flux datasets were used to discuss the mechanisms for these variations. Our results indicate that the surface and subsurface variations of the tropical Indian Ocean during Indian Ocean Dipole （IOD） events are significantly different. A prominent characteristic of the eastern pole is the SSTA rebound after a cooling process, which does not take place at the subsurface layer. In the western pole, the surface anomalies last longer than the subsurface anomalies. The subsurface anomalies are strongly correlated with ENSO, while the relationship between the surface anomalies and ENSO is much weaker. And the subsurface anomalies of the two poles are negatively correlated while they are positively correlated at the surface layer. The wind and surface heat flux analysis suggests that the thermocline depth variations are mainly determined by wind stress fields, while the heat flux effect is important on SST.

Diagnostic study of the summer thermocline depth in the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea

In this paper, the depth of the summer thermocline of the South Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea is calculated with two kinds of one-dimentional models, and the formation reasons are explained for the summer thermocline depth distribution characteristics in the study area. It is proved that in the shelf area of the East China Sea, tidal mixing has an important impact on the thermocline depth. And a new explanation for certain phenomena of the so-called coastal upwelling in the East China Sea is proposed.

Numerical modelling of the depth variation and the fluctuation of the thermocline under the effects of wind in the Bohai Sea

-In this paper, numerical modelling of the fluctuation of the thermocline in the Bohai Sea has been made using a two-dimensional nonlinear model in stratified ocean and the model for the depth of the thermocline under the effects of wind stirring. The computed results depict the variations of the fluctuation of the thermocline driven by different kinds of wind fields. The fluctuation of the thermocline in the Bohai Sea varies somewhat with different directions, paths and locations of typhoon (cyclone). Under the effects of strong wind, the thermoclines both sink due to mixing and fluctuate. Furthermore, the fluctuation of the thermocline speeds up mixing. At last, the thermoclines disappear after 12-15 h when the strong wind increases from Force 6 to Force 9.

A study of response of thermocline in the South China Sea to ENSO events

This paper investigates the response of the thermocline depth(TD) in the South China Sea(SCS) to the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation(ENSO) events using 51-year(from 1960 to 2010) monthly seawater temperature and surface wind stress data acquired from the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation(SODA), together with heat flux data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction(NCEP), precipitation data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) and evaporation data from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution(WHOI). It is indicated that the response of the SCS TD to the El Ni?o or La Ni?a events is in opposite phase. On one hand, the spatial-averaged TDs in the SCS(deeper than 200 m) appear as negative and positive anomalies during the mature phase of the El Ni?o and La Ni?a events, respectively. On the other hand, from June of the El Ni?o year to the subsequent April, the spatial patterns of TD in the north and south of 12°N appear as negative and positive anomalies, respectively, but present positive and negative anomalies for the La Ni?a case. However, positive and negative TD anomalies occur almost in the entire SCS in May of the subsequent year of the El Ni?o and La Ni?a events, respectively. It is suggested that the response of the TD in the SCS to the ENSO events is mainly caused by the sea surface buoyancy flux and the wind stress curl.

Decadal variation of thermocline-sea surface temperature feedback in the tropical Indian Ocean and the underlying mechanisms

The thermocline-sea surface temperature(SST)feedback is the most important component of the Bjerknes feedback,which plays an important role in the development of the air-sea coupling modes of the Indian Ocean.The thermocline-SST feedback in the Indian Ocean has experienced significant decadal variations over the last40 a.The feedback intensified in the late twentieth century and then weakened during the hiatus in global warming at the early twenty-first century.The thermocline-SST feedback is most prominent in the southeastern and southwestern Indian Ocean.Although the decadal variations of feedback are similar in these two regions,there are still differences in the underlying mechanisms.The decadal variations of feedback in the southeastern Indian Ocean are dominated by variations in the depth of the thermocline,which are modulated by equatorial zonal wind anomalies.Whereas the decadal variation of feedback in the southwestern Indian Ocean is mainly controlled by the intensity of upwelling and thermocline depth in winter and spring,respectively.The upwelling and thermocline depth are both affected by wind stress curl anomalies over the southeastern Indian Ocean,which excite anomalous Ekman pumping and influence the southwestern Indian Ocean through westward propagating Rossby waves.

Subtropical Air-Sea Interaction and Development of Central Pacific El Nio

The standard deviation of the central Pacific sea surface temperature anomaly （SSTA） during the period from October to February shows that the central Pacific SSTA variation is primarily due to the occurrence of the Central Pacific E1 Nifio （CP-E1 Nifio） and has a connection with the subtropical air-sea interaction in the northeastern Pacific. After removing the influence of the Eastern Pacific E1 Nifio, an S-EOF analysis is conducted and the leading mode shows a clear seasonal SSTA evolving from the subtropical northeastern Pacific to the tropical central Pacific with a quasi-biennial period. The initial subtropical SSTA is generated by the wind speed decrease and surface heat flux increase due to a north Pacific anomalous cyclone. Such subtropical SSTA can further influence the establishment of the SSTA in the tropical central Pacific via the wind-evaporation-SST （WES） feedback. After established, the central equatorial Pacific SSTA can be strengthened by the zonal advective feedback and thermocline feedback, and develop into CP-E1 Nifio. However, as the thermocline feedback increases the SSTA cooling after the mature phase, the heat flux loss and the reversed zonal advective feedback can cause the phase transition of CP-EI Nifio. Along with the wind stress variability, the recharge （discharge） process occurs in the central （eastern） equatorial Pacific and such a process causes the phase consistency between the thermocline depth and SST anomalies, which presents a contrast to the original recharge/discharge theory.

Paleoproductivity evolution in the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka

In order to reconstruct the paleoproductivity evolution history of the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka, the vertical gradient of Δδ13C in dissolved inorganic carbon Δδ13C between those of foraminifera Pulleniatina obliquiloculata and Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi） and planktonic foraminiferal assemblages were analysed in piston Core MD06-3047 retrieved from the Benham Rise （east of the Luzon Island）. Paleoproductivity evolution in the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka is closely related to glacial-interglacial cycles and precession-controlled insolation. Controlling factors ofpaleoproductivity could have been both thermocline fluctuations related with ENSO-Iike processes and eolian input associated with East Asian winter monsoon, and the former could have been the primary factor. A higher productivity and a shallower thermocline coeval with the occurrence of low CO2 concentrations in the EPICA Dome C ice core might indicate that biological export production in the low-latitude could act as a significant sink in the global carbon cycle, and modify atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Spectral analysis further reveals that the paleoproductivity is mainly controlled by thermocline fluctuations subjected to ENSO processes responding to processional variability of insolation. High coherences in eccentricity, obliquity and precession periods fiuther revealing the close link between thermocline fluctuations, paleoproductivity and atmospheric CO2 levels.

Distinctive Precursory Air–Sea Signals between Regular and Super El Ni os

Statistically different precursory air–sea signals between a super and a regular El Ni no group are investigated, using observed SST and rainfall data, and oceanic and atmospheric reanalysis data. The El Ni no events during 1958–2008 are first separated into two groups： a super El Ni no group（S-group） and a regular El Ni no group（R-group）. Composite analysis shows that a significantly larger SST anomaly（SSTA） tendency appears in S-group than in R-group during the onset phase[April–May（0）], when the positive SSTA is very small. A mixed-layer heat budget analysis indicates that the tendency difference arises primarily from the difference in zonal advective feedback and the associated zonal current anomaly（u）.This is attributed to the difference in the thermocline depth anomaly（D） over the off-equatorial western Pacific prior to the onset phase, as revealed by three ocean assimilation products. Such a difference in D is caused by the difference in the wind stress curl anomaly in situ, which is mainly regulated by the anomalous SST and precipitation over the Maritime Continent and equatorial Pacific.

Planktonic Foraminiferal Assemblage Variations of Ontong-Java Plateau during Late Quaternary and Their Implications for Paleotemperature in the Western Pacific Warm Pool

Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 807A was recovered from the Ontong-Java plateau, western equatorial Pacific. Quantitative analysis of planktonic foraminifera, combined with oxygen and carbon isotope data, reveals the glacial-interglacial variations of sea-surface temperature and the upper water vertical structure in this region during the late Quaternary. Our results indicate that since 530 ka sea-surface temperature (SST) and the depth of thermocline (DOT) have changed significantly in the western Pacific warm pool (WPWP). The average glacial-interglacial annual SST difference was up to 4.2 ℃, and the DOT fluctuations could exceed more than 100 m, further suggesting the instability of the WPWP. The spectral analyses of SST and DOT reveal two dominating cyclicities—the typical 100 ka cycle and the semi-precessional cycle, which is significant in the tropical spectrum, indicating that late Quaternary paleoceanographic changes in the study area were influenced not only by a high latitude forcing but also by tropic-driving factors.

High-resolution records of thermocline in the Okinawa Trough since about 10000 aBP

The present paper uses planktonic foraminifera and their stableisotopes to study the changes in the depth of thermocline (DOT) in the Okinawa Trough since the last 10000 a based on the analysis of Core B-3GC in the northern Okinawa Trough, together with that of the core in the southern Okinawa Trough. As results show, the thermocline was shallow before 6400 aBP, and deepened afterward, then became shallow again from 4000 to 2000 aBP. The DOT fluctuations display a positive correlation with those of sea surface temperature (SST). In addition, the changes in the northern Okinawa Trough are similar to those in the southern trough, implying a possible connection with the variation of the Kuroshio Current. The changes of SST and DOT suggest that the Kuroshio Current changed its intensity or main axis from 4000 to 2000 aBP and around about 6400 aBP respectively. Moreover, the changes of DOT from 8200 to 6400 aBP may indicate a gradual intensification of the Kuroshio Current.

Change of Indonesian Throughflow outflow in response to East Asian Monsoon and ENSO activities since the Last Glacial

The Indonesian Throughflow （ITF） links upper ocean waters of the west Pacific and Indian Ocean, modulates heat and fresh water budgets between these oceans, and in turn plays an important role in global climate change. The climatic phenomena such as the East Asian monsoon and E1 Nifio-Southern Oscillation （ENSO） exert a strong influence on flux, water properties and vertical stratification of the ITF. This work studied sediments of Core SO 18462 that was retrieved from the outflow side of the ITF in the Timor Sea in order to investigate response of the ITF to monsoon and ENSO activities since the last glacial. Based on Mg/Ca ratios and oxygen isotopes in shells of planktonic foraminiferal surface and thermocline species, seawater temperatures and salinity of both surface and thermocline waters and vertical thermal gradient of the ITF outflow were recon- structed. Records of Core SO18462 were then compared with those from Core 3cBX that was recovered from the western Pa- cific warm pool （WPWP）. The results displayed that similar surface waters occurred in the Timor Sea and the WPWP during the last glacial. Since -16 ka, an apparent difference in surface waters between these two regions exists in salinity, indicated by much fresher waters in the Timor Sea than in the WPWP. In contrast, there is little change in difference of sea surface temper- atures （SSTs）. With regard to thermocline temperature （TT）, it increased until -11.5 ka since the last glacial, and then re- mained an overall unchanged trend in the WPWP but continuously decreased in the Timor Sea towards the late Holocene. Since ~6 ka, thermocline waters have tended to be close to each other in between the Timor Sea and the WPWP. It is indicated that intensified precipitation due to East Asian monsoon and possible ENSO cold phase significantly freshened surface waters over the Indonesian Seas, impeding the ITF surface flow and in turn having enhanced thermocline flow during the Holocene. Consequently, thermocline water of the ITF outflow was cooling and thermocline was shoaling towards the late Holocene. It is speculated that, in addition to strengthening of East Asian winter monsoon, increasing ENSO events during the late Holocene likely played an important role in influencing thermocline depth of the ITF outflow.