Salinity variability in the Arabian Sea

Joseph, Sudheer; Freeland, Howard J.

doi:10.1029/2005gl022972

Cited by 39 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The general characteristics of SSS are well captured in all three SSS products. In the northern Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal has lower SSS as a result of precipitation exceeding evaporation and the influx of river‐runoff, whereas the Arabian Sea has higher SSS as a result of evaporation exceeding precipitation [ Prasad and Ikeda , 2002; Joseph and Freeland , 2005; Nyadjro et al , 2011]. Additionally, the Arabian Sea is semi‐enclosed, bounded on three sides by landmasses with connections to the highly saline Persian Gulf and Red Sea.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of salinity on the dynamics of the Arabian Sea mini warm pool

et al. 2012

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Warmer (>28°C) sea surface temperature (SST) occurs in the South Eastern Arabian Sea (SEAS, 5°N–13°N, 65°E–76°E) during March–April, and is known as the Arabian Sea Mini Warm Pool (ASMWP). In this study, we address the role of salinity and the upper layer heat and salt budgets in the formation and collapse of this ASMWP. An assessment of Level 3 sea surface salinity (SSS) data from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite mission for the year 2010 shows that SMOS is able to capture the SSS variability in the SEAS. Analysis of temperature, salinity and currents from the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model during 2003–06, and, in situ temperature and salinity data from Argo floats during 2003–06 for the SEAS revealed that low salinity waters cap the top 60 m of the SEAS in January–February. This minimum salinity was concurrent with the formation of a barrier layer and with the time when the SEAS gained little net heat flux and the equatorward flowing East India Coastal Current (EICC) fed low saline waters into the SEAS. Subsequently, the net heat flux increased to a peak value under the increased salinity stratification, leading to the formation of the ASMWP in March–April. The ASMWP collapsed by May due to increase in SSS and the associated weakening of the salinity stratification. The monsoon onset vortex in May 2004 could be related to the minimum SSS that occurred in February 2004, followed by higher SST and heat content of the ASMWP in April 2004.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of salinity on the dynamics of the Arabian Sea mini warm pool

et al. 2012

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“…The AS is characterized by intense evaporation exceeding precipitation or runoff contribution. Only a few rivers feed into it making it highly saline, which could be as much as 37 practical salinity unit (g/kg) in the north [ Joseph and Freeland , ] (Figure a). In contrast, the BoB receives large supply of freshwater from rainfall and river runoff (Ganges, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri), resulting in overall lower salinity compared to AS (Figure b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controlling factors of rainwater and water vapor isotopes at Bangalore, India: Constraints from observations in 2013 Indian monsoon

et al. 2016

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Isotopic ratios of rainwaters are believed to decrease with the amount of rainfall. However, analyses of the isotopic composition of rainwater and water vapor samples collected from Bangalore during the monsoon period of 2013 fail to show any simple relationship with the local meteorological parameters whereas show good correlation with the regional integrated convective activity. The correlation is particularly high when the averaging is done over the preceding 8 to 15 days, showing the influence of mixing or residence time scale of atmospheric moisture. This observation emphasizes the role of regional atmospheric circulation driving the isotopic values. A comparison between observed isotope ratios in water vapor and rainwater with Isotope‐enabled Global Spectral Model shows discrepancies between the two. The observed values are relatively enriched, indicating a systematic bias in the model values. The higher observed values suggest underestimation of the evaporation in the model, which we estimate to be about 28 ± 15% on average. Simultaneous analyses of rainwater and water vapor isotopic composition again show definitive presence of raindrop evaporation (31 ± 14%). We also documented a distinct pattern of isotopic variation in six samples collected at Bangalore due to mixing of vapor from a cyclonic system in close proximity that originated from the Bay of Bengal. It seems that large‐scale isotopic depletion occurs during cyclones caused by Rayleigh fractionation due to massive rainout. These results demonstrate the power of rainwater and water vapor isotope monitoring to elucidate the genesis and dynamics of water recycling within synoptic‐scale monsoon systems.

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“…Similarly, Argo observations in the Indian Ocean are creating new insights from many different authors. Thus Argo enables a new understanding of the upper ocean variability of the Arabian Sea, such as summer cooling during contrasting monsoons [43], temporal variability of the core-depth of Arabian Sea High Salinity Water mass (ASHSW) and the origin of this water mass [44]. Additionally, Argo data have been used to examine buoyancy flux variations and their role in air sea interaction [45], identification of the lowsalinity plume off the Gulf of Khambhat, India [46], during the post-monsoon period, mixed layer variability of western Arabian Sea [47], and seasonal variability of the barrier layer [28].…”

Section: Other Research Achievements Of the Argo Programmentioning

confidence: 99%