Supersquirt: Dynamics of the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico

Barton, Eric D.; Argote, María Luisa; Brown, Jennifer M.; Kosro, P. Michael; Lavín, Miguel F.; Trasviña, Armando; Vélez, Héctor S.; Robles, J. M.; Smith, Robert L.

doi:10.5670/oceanog.1993.19

Cited by 80 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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confidence: 70%

Characteristics of wind‐generated rings in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean

Muller‐Karger¹,

Fuentes-Yaco²

2000

J. Geophys. Res.

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We show that the spatial scales of the eddies are similar to those of eddies produced by the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio currents (---250 km) and that they are typically generated over 3-10 days [see Barton et al., 1993]. We also describe anticyclonic eddies that propagate over long distances (100-1,000 km) and that last for periods of up to several months. It was more difficult to discern coherent cyclonic eddies because these dissipate within one to several weeks [see McCreary et al., 1989]. The frequency of eddy generation is highest when the wind jets are strongest, which is usually in boreal winter and spring every year, but the Tehuano eddies are generated independently from those in the more southerly passes of Papagayo and Panamfi.We show that much larger numbers of eddies form in the eastern tropical Pacific than has been previously reported on the basis of in situ observations or than is predicted by numerical models that do not include realistic, high-frequency wind forcing. This study contributes to documenting better the statistics and characteristics of anticyclonic versus cyclonic eddies in this region. Finally, we suggest that the wind-induced eddies in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean transport mass, energy, nutrients, plants, and animals from the ocean margin to the ocean interior over distances exceeding 1000 km. MethodsWe examined the shape and speed of rings with multiyear time series of satellite images. Specifically, we use imagery derived from NASA's Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) and from NOAA's advanced very high resolution radiometers (AVHRRs). The area of study was limited to 75ø-105øW and 3øS-23øN, even though some eddies were observed moving farther west in the CZCS data. We complemented these data with monthly SST and wind series from the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS, 1946(COADS, -1987.We named eddies in the image series with a numerical prefix identifying the year of occurrence. We constructed eddy names by choosing the first letter in alphabetical order and adding a suffix identifying the sequential eddy number. Finally, a letter identifies the region of origin of the eddy (i.e., T, Y, or P, depending on whether the eddy was Tehuano, Papagayo, or Panamefio, respectively), and a sign denotes the direction of rotation (i.e., plus sign for cyclonic and minus sign for anticyclonic). Ocean Color

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confidence: 70%

Characteristics of wind‐generated rings in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean

Muller‐Karger¹,

Fuentes-Yaco²

2000

J. Geophys. Res.

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“…These wind jets are strongest during boreal winter, and exert a strong influence on the surface ocean, as readily seen from satellite infrared observations (Clarke 1988;Legeckis 1988;Barton et al 1993). It is quite common for SST near these wind jets to drop by several degrees during a strong wind surge event, due to intensified surface turbulent heat flux and entrainment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Air–Sea Interaction over the Eastern Pacific Warm Pool: Gap Winds, Thermocline Dome, and Atmospheric Convection*

et al. 2005

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High-resolution satellite observations are used to investigate air-sea interaction over the eastern Pacific warm pool. In winter, strong wind jets develop over the Gulfs of Tehuantepec, Papagayo, and Panama, accelerated by the pressure gradients between the Atlantic and Pacific across narrow passes of Central American cordillera. Patches of cold sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and high chlorophyll develop under these wind jets as a result of increased turbulent heat flux from the ocean and enhanced mixing across the base of the ocean mixed layer. Despite a large decrease in SST (exceeding 3ЊC in seasonal means), the cold patches associated with the Tehuantepec and Papagayo jets do not have an obvious effect on local atmospheric convection in winter since the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is located farther south. The cold patch of the Panama jet to the south, on the other hand, cuts through the winter ITCZ and breaks it into two parts.A pronounced thermocline dome develops west of the Gulf of Papagayo, with the 20ЊC isotherm only 30 m deep throughout the year. In summer when the Panama jet disappears and the other two wind jets weaken, SST is 0.5ЊC lower over this Costa Rica Dome than the background. This cold spot reduces local precipitation by half, punching a hole of 500 km in diameter in the summer ITCZ. The dome underlies a patch of open-ocean high chlorophyll. This thermocline dome is an ocean dynamic response to the positive wind curls south of the Papagayo jet, which is optimally oriented to excite ocean Rossby waves that remotely affect the ocean to the west. The meridionally oriented Tehuantepec and Panama jets, by contrast, only influence the local thermocline depth with few remote effects on SST and the atmosphere. The orographical-triggered air-sea interaction described here is a good benchmark for testing high-resolution climate models now under development.

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“…Barton et al, 1993). The jet is clearly identifiable by satellite remote observations, in particular from the NASA scatterometers NSCAT and QSCAT (Chelton et al, 2000(Chelton et al, , 2004.…”

Section: Lightning Activity In Clouds Over the Gulf Ofmentioning

confidence: 94%

High lightning activity in maritime clouds near Mexico

2012

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Abstract. Lightning activity detected by the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) over oceanic regions adjacent to Mexico is often as high as that observed over the continent. In order to explore the possible causes of the observed high flash density over those regions, the relationships between lightning, rainfall, vertical hydrometeor profiles, latent heating, wind variability and aerosol optical depth are analyzed. The characteristics of lightning and precipitation over four oceanic zones adjacent to Mexican coastlines are contrasted against those over the continent. The number of flashes per rainfall over some coastal maritime regions is found to be higher than over the continent. The largest number of flashes per rainfall is observed during the biomass burning season. In addition, we compare two smaller areas of the Tropical Pacific Ocean: one located within the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone and characterized by high rainfall and weak lightning activity and the other one influenced by a continental wind jet and characterized by high rainfall and strong lightning activity. During the rainy season, the monthly distribution of lightning within the region influenced by the continental wind jet is contrary to that of rainfall. Moreover, the monthly variability of lightning is very similar to the variability of the meridional wind component and it is also related to the variability of aerosol optical depth. The analysis suggests that the high lightning activity observed over coastal Pacific region is linked to the continental cloud condensation nuclei advected over the ocean. Analysis of daily observations indicates that the greatest lightning density is observed for moderate values of the aerosol optical depth, between 0.2 and 0.35.

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Supersquirt: Dynamics of the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico

Cited by 80 publications

References 8 publications

Characteristics of wind‐generated rings in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean

Characteristics of wind‐generated rings in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean

Air–Sea Interaction over the Eastern Pacific Warm Pool: Gap Winds, Thermocline Dome, and Atmospheric Convection*

High lightning activity in maritime clouds near Mexico

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