印度洋海气热通量交换研究

基于综合海洋大气资料集(COADS)资料的研究表明,热带印度洋的海气热通量交换具有明显的区域性特征,在部分海域,如冬季热带印度洋的中东部、夏季的热带西印度洋和北印度洋,它主要表现为海洋对大气的强迫.海洋对大气的这种强迫,主要是通过潜热加热实现的.与潜热加热相比,感热加热尽管是一个小量,但感热异常与表层海温的显著相关,较之潜热明显超前.无论冬季还是夏季,热带印度洋都存在大面积海域,其SST变化难以通过海气热通量交换来解释.     

A New Ocean Mixed-Layer Model Coupled into WRF

A new mesoscale air-sea coupled model (WRF- OMLM-Noh) was constructed based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and an improved Mellor-Yamada ocean mixed-layer model from Noh and Kim (OMLM-Noh). Through off-line tests and a simulation of a real typhoon, the authors compared the performance of the WRF-OMLM-Noh with another existing ocean mixed-layer coupled model (WRF-OMLM-Pollard). In the off-line tests with Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Program’s Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA-COARE) observational data, the results show that OMLM-Noh is better able to simulate sea surface temperature (SST) variational trends than OMLM -Pollard. Moreover, OMLM-Noh can sufficiently reproduce the diurnal cycle of SST. Regarding the typhoon case study, SST cooling due to wind-driven ocean mixing is underestimated in WRF-OMLM-Pollard, which artificially increases the intensity of the typhoon due to more simulated air-sea heat fluxes. Compared to the WRF- OMLM-Pollard, the performance of WRF-OMLM-Noh is superior in terms of both the spatial distribution and temporal variation of SST and air-sea heat fluxes.     

南海季风区冰相相变潜热对中尺度对流云和降水影响作用的数值模拟研究

利用可分辨云模式及中国南海北部试验区加密探空的平均水平风场、位温场和水汽场模拟分析了1998年5月15日至6月11日中国南海北部地区中尺度对流系统(Mesoscal Convective System,简称MCS)中冰相相变潜热对云和降水、辐射传输以及大尺度环境场的影响作用。研究表明,冰相相变潜热总体上不会引起明显的大气辐射通量的变化,但会引起较明显的下垫面热通量的变化。凝华潜热释放显著地增加了大气稳定度,造成对流和下垫面热通量的减弱,从而导致地面降水减小10.11%。碰冻潜热释放也使得大气稳定度增加,不利于中尺度对流系统对流的发展,区域累积降水量减小2.2%。融化潜热的冷却效应,使得融化层以下的大气降温,从而增加了低层大气的不稳定性,有利于海面热通量的输送,导致MCS降水增加4.1%。因此,冰相相变潜热对降水的影响主要是通过影响大气环境稳定,进而影响洋面感热通量和潜热通量的垂直输送和对流的发展,导致区域降水改变。     

Isolating mesoscale coupled ocean–atmosphere interactions in the Kuroshio Extension region

The Kuroshio Extension region is characterized by energetic oceanic mesoscale and frontal variability that alters the air–sea fluxes that can influence large-scale climate variability in the North Pacific. We investigate this mesoscale air-sea coupling using a regional eddy-resolving coupled ocean–atmosphere (OA) model that downscales the observed large-scale climate variability from 2001 to 2007. The model simulates many aspects of the observed seasonal cycle of OA coupling strength for both momentum and turbulent heat fluxes. We introduce a new modeling approach to study the scale-dependence of two well-known mechanisms for the surface wind response to mesoscale sea surface temperatures (SSTs), namely, the ‘vertical mixing mechanism’ (VMM) and the ‘pressure adjustment mechanism’ (PAM). We compare the fully coupled model to the same model with an online, 2-D spatial smoother applied to remove the mesoscale SST field felt by the atmosphere. Both VMM and PAM are found to be active during the strong wintertime peak seen in the coupling strength in both the model and observations. For VMM, large-scale SST gradients surprisingly generate coupling between downwind SST gradient and wind stress divergence that is often stronger than the coupling on the mesoscale, indicating their joint importance in OA interaction in this region. In contrast, VMM coupling between crosswind SST gradient and wind stress curl occurs only on the mesoscale, and not over large-scale SST gradients, indicating the essential role of the ocean mesocale. For PAM, the model results indicate that coupling between the Laplacian of sea level pressure and surface wind convergence occurs for both mesoscale and large-scale processes, but inclusion of the mesoscale roughly doubles the coupling strength. Coupling between latent heat flux and SST is found to be significant throughout the entire seasonal cycle in both fully coupled mode and large-scale coupled mode, with peak coupling during winter months. The atmospheric response to the oceanic mesoscale SST is also studied by comparing the fully coupled run to an uncoupled atmospheric model forced with smoothed SST prescribed from the coupled run. Precipitation anomalies are found to be forced by surface wind convergence patterns that are driven by mesoscale SST gradients, indicating the importance of the ocean forcing the atmosphere at this scale.     

A REGIONAL COUPLED AIR–SEA–WAVE MODEL: SIMULATION OF UPPER-OCEAN RESPONSES TO AN IDEALIZED TROPICAL CYCLONE

In this study a coupled air–sea–wave model system, containing the model components of GRAPES-TCM, ECOM-si and WAVEWATCH III, is established based on an air–sea coupled model. The changes of wave state and the effects of sea spray are both considered. Using the complex air–sea–wave model, a set of idealized simulations was applied to investigate the effects of air–sea–wave interaction in the upper ocean. Results show that air–wave coupling can strengthen tropical cyclones while air–sea coupling can weaken them; and air–sea–wave coupling is comparable to that of air–sea coupling, as the intensity is almost unchanged with the wave model coupled to the air–sea coupled model. The mixing by vertical advection is strengthened if the wave effect is considered, and causes much more obvious sea surface temperature (SST) decreases in the upper ocean in the air–sea coupled model. Air–wave coupling strengthens the air–sea heat exchange, while the thermodynamic coupling between the atmosphere and ocean weakens the air–sea heat exchange: the air–sea–wave coupling is the result of their balance. The wave field distribution characteristic is determined by the wind field. Experiments are also conducted to simulate ocean responses to different mixed layer depths. With increasing depth of the initial mixed layer, the decrease of SST weakens, but the temperature decrease of deeper layers is enhanced and the loss of heat in the upper ocean is increased. The significant wave height is larger when the initial mixed layer depth increases.     

冬季北太平洋海表热通量异常和海气相互作用——基于一个全球海气耦合模式长期积分的诊断分析

利用一个全球海气耦合模式长期积分所给出的资料,分析了冬季北太平洋海表湍流热通量（潜热和感热）异常及其对海表温度（SST）异常的影响,并比较了海表热通量诸分量和海洋内部的动力学过程对SST变化的相对重要性。结果表明,冬季热带外海洋上的湍流热通量是影响SST的主要因子,但在北太平洋中部海水的平流作用也不可忽视。冬季热带外海洋向大气释放的潜热和感热通量与SST倾向（而不是SST本身）之间存在着显著的相关,这同Cayan和Reynolds等利用COADS资料和NCEP资料同化模式分析的结果是一致的。模式诊断的结果支持这样一种看法：和热带海洋不同,冬季热带外海洋上的海气相互作用主要地表现为大气对海洋的强迫作用,而不是相反。模式给出的SST倾向的第一个EOF分量及其与海平面气压场的相关特征同Wallace等从观测资料分析所得到的结果是一致的;进一步的分析表明：在冬季北太平洋的大部分区域（特别是西太平洋）,大尺度大气环流异常在很大程度上决定着SST的异常,而这种决定作用正是通过它对湍流热通量的强烈影响来实现的。     

Indian Ocean SST Biases in a Flexible Regional Ocean Atmosphere Land System (FROALS) Model

The authors examine the Indian Ocean sea surface temperature(SST) biases simulated by a Flexible Regional Ocean Atmosphere Land System(FROALS) model.The regional coupled model exhibits pronounced cold SST biases in a large portion of the Indian Ocean warm pool.Negative biases in the net surface heat fluxes are evident in the model,leading to the cold biases of the SST.Further analysis indicates that the negative biases in the net surface heat fluxes are mainly contributed by the biases of sensible heat and latent heat flux.Near-surface meteorological variables that could contribute to the SST biases are also examined.It is found that the biases of sensible heat and latent heat flux are caused by the colder and dryer near-surface air in the model.     

陆气相互作用对中尺度对流系统影响的研究进展

文章回顾了大气对地表性质的敏感性研究,以及陆气相互作用对中尺度天气过程的影响,说明了地表性质与积云对流及对流降水之间的联系。地表性质的改变对行星边界层的热通量、水汽通量、对流有效位能产生影响,并通过湍流的垂直输送,进而影响到其上大气的性质。陆气之间存在着复杂的、非线性的相互作用。性质不均匀的下垫面造成地表向大气感热通量和潜热通量的差异,从而在近地层大气中形成温度和气压梯度,产生局地环流,在条件适合的情况下可以形成对流,并产生降水,而降水的不均匀分布,又维持了下垫面的不均匀性。土壤湿度对对流的影响受到多个因素的制约,其中天气尺度过程的影响是很显著的;由非均匀的下垫面所产生的局地环流能够触发积云对流。     

积云参数化方案对夏季东亚季风区海气系统位相关系模拟的影响

本文利用区域海气耦合模式RegCM-POM,分别选取Grell积云参数化方案和Emanuel积云参数化方案对北半球夏季(5—10月)的东亚气候进行模拟,研究不同积云对流参数化方案(CPS)对东亚夏季季风区海气系统位相关系模拟的影响。结果表明:不同CPS模拟的陆地降水具有一定的不确定性,而海洋降水和海温的模拟受CPS选择的影响更大。其中,Emanuel方案对海洋降水和海温的分布形势模拟总体上要好于Grell方案,且可以更好的模拟中国近海各海区的海气系统位相关系,特别是大气对海温的负反馈过程。原因在于Emanuel方案模拟的对流降水与海温的位相关系更接近观测总降水与海温的位相关系;而Grell方案对南海和孟加拉湾的对流降水模拟偏少,对黑潮对流降水的模拟偏多,错误地模拟了这几个海区积云对流过程发挥的作用,故其模拟的海气系统位相关系不如Emanuel方案。     

The Effect of Intensity： Typhoon-Induced SST Cooling on Typhoon The Case of Typhoon Chanchu （2006）

In order to investigate air-sea interactions during the life cycle of typhoons and the quantificational effects of typhoon-induced SST cooling on typhoon intensity, a mesoscale coupled air-sea model is developed based on the non-hydrostatic mesoscale model MM5 and the regional ocean model POM, which is used to simulate the life cycle of Typhoon Chanchu （2006） from a tropical depression to a typhoon followed by a steady weakening. The results show that improved intensity prediction is achieved after considering typhoon-induced SST cooling; the trend of the typhoon intensity change simulated by the coupled model is consistent with observations. The weakening stage of Typhoon Chanchu from 1200 UTC 15 May to 1800 UTC 16 May can be well reproduced, and it is the typhoon-induced SST cooling that makes Chanchu weaken during this period. Analysis reveals that the typhoon-induced SST cooling reduces the sensible and latent heat fluxes from the ocean to the typhoon＇s vortex, especially in the inner-core region. In this study, the average total heat flux in the inner-core region of the typhoon decrease by 57.2%, whereas typhoon intensity weakens by 46%. It is shown that incorporation of the typhoon-induced cooling, with an average value of 2.17℃, causes a 46-hPa weakening of the typhoon, which is about 20 hPa per 1℃ change in SST.     

Simulation of snowstorm over the Yellow Sea using a mesoscale coupled model

This study aims to examine the favorable conditions for an ocean effect snowstorm across the Yellow Sea over the southwestern coast of Korea on 21 December 2005, using a coupled model with a Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System as the atmospheric component and the Regional Ocean Modeling System as the oceanic component. Simulation of heavy snowfall event, which was 44.3 cm of snow accumulated in 24-hour, was performed to investigate the mesoscale structure, dynamics and development mechanisms in the snowstorm. As a result from 48-hour integration, the results of simulation showed that barotropic instability and turbulent heat fluxes played important roles in the formation of snowstorm. The enhanced surface diabatic heating was dominant in the latent heat flux, and eventually induced convective instability. An additional factor was the favorable condition of synoptic environment, accessing the cold air transport by the approach of the upper-level cold vortex over the warm ocean. Besides these factors, conditional symmetric instability (CSI) is a mechanism which can result in a heavy snowfall with sufficient moisture and upward vertical motion. A slantwise convection from the release of CSI could support a complex snowfall event with heavier than expected amounts. The result comparison between a coupled model and an uncoupled model supports that airsea coupling has an impact of decreasing of about 10% in a snowfall amount on the snowstorm.     

热带气旋眼墙非对称结构的研究综述

热带气旋的眼墙非对称结构与其发展过程密切相关。在热带气旋移动过程中,非对称风场伴随着边界层内非对称摩擦而引起的辐合,影响着热带气旋眼墙内的对流分布。此外,风垂直切变作为影响热带气旋强度的重要因子,将上层暖心吹离表层环流,引起眼墙垂直运动的非对称,导致云、降水在方位角方向的非均匀分布。当存在平均涡度的径向梯度时,罗斯贝类型的波动可以存在于涡旋内核区域,影响眼墙非对称结构。海洋为热带气旋提供潜热和感热形式的能量,是热带气旋发展的重要能量来源,关于海洋如何影响热带气旋眼墙非对称结构的相关研究较少。文中着重回顾了热带气旋与海洋相互作用的研究成果,并提出海洋影响热带气旋眼墙非对称结构的机制。海洋对热带气旋最显著的响应特征是冷尾效应,该效应通过降低海表温度,减少海洋向大气输送的潜热和感热,从而影响热带气旋眼墙非对称结构。此外,海浪改变海表粗糙度,通过边界层影响移动热带气旋的眼墙结构。     

利用一个海气耦合模式对台风Krovanh的模拟

采用中尺度大气模式MM5和区域海洋模式POM构造了中尺度海气耦合模式, 模拟了Krovanh (0312) 台风过程中台风－海洋相互作用, 分析了台风引起的海面降温影响台风强度的机制和海洋对台风响应的特征。试验结果显示: 考虑台风引起的海面降温使台风强度模拟有了较大改进, 模拟的台风中心气压和近中心最大风速均与实况较符合。POM模拟的海表面温度与TRMM/TMI观测的海表面温度也较为一致, 台风Krovanh在其路径右侧95 km处引起较大的海面降温, 最大降温幅度达5.8℃。与海表面温度降低相对应的是混合层深度的增加, 较大的海面降温对应较大的混合层加深, 表明大风夹卷在海表面温度的降低中起主要作用。分析表明, 台风引起的海面降温降低海洋向大气输送的潜热通量和感热通量, 特别是在台风内核区, 平均总热通量减少了32.1%。热通量的减少使得湿静力能及湿静力能径向梯度减小, 削弱了台风强度。     

大气环流模式（SAMIL）海气耦合前后性能的比较

基于耦合器框架，中国科学院大气物理研究所大气科学和地球流体力学数值模拟国家重点实验室大气环流谱模式 （SAMIL）最近成功地实现了与海洋、海冰等气候分量模式的耦合，形成了“非通量调整”的海－陆－气－冰直接耦合的气候模式系统（FGOALS-s）。在耦合系统中，由于海温、海冰等的分布由预报模式驱动，大气与海洋、海冰之间引入了相互作用过程，这样大气环流的模拟特征与耦合前会有不同。为分析耦合系统的性能，作者对耦合前后的模拟结果进行了分析比较，重点是大气模拟特征的差异。结果表明，耦合前、后大气环流的基本特征相似，都能成功地模拟出主要的环流系统分布及季节变化，但是由于海温和海冰的模拟存在系统性的偏差，使得耦合后的大气环流受到明显影响。例如耦合后热带海温偏冷，南大洋、北太平洋和北大西洋等中纬度地区的海温偏高，导致海温等值线向高纬海域的伸展较弱，海温经向梯度减小。耦合后海冰在北极区域范围偏大，在南极周边地区则偏小。海温、海冰分布模拟的偏差影响到中、高纬低层大气的温度。热带海温偏低，使得赤道地区降水偏弱，凝结潜热减少，热带对流层中高层温度比耦合前要低，大气温度的经向梯度减小。经向温度梯度的改变，直接影响到对平均经圈环流及西风急流强度的模拟。尽管耦合系统中海温、海冰的模拟存在偏差，但在亚洲季风区，耦合后季风环流及降水等的分布都比耦合前单独大气模式的结果合理，表明通过海[CD*2]气相互作用可减少耦合前季风区的模拟误差，改善季风模拟效果。比较发现，海温、海冰模拟的偏差，除与海洋模式中经向热输送偏弱、海冰模式中海冰处理等有关外，也与大气模式中总云量模拟偏低有关。大气模式本身的误差，特别是云、辐射过程带来的误差，对耦合结果具有极为重要的影响。完全耦合后，这些误差通过与海洋、海冰的反馈作用而放大。因此，对于FGOALS-s而言，要提高耦合系统的整体性能，除改进各气候分量模式的模拟性能外，需要重点改进大气模式中的云、辐射过程。     

The Impact of Air-Sea Interactions on Typhoon Structure

In this work,the results of a coupled experiment and an uncoupled experiment conducted in one of our former works are used to analyze the impact of air-sea interactions on the structure of typhoons.Results reveal that typhoon-induced SST decreases to reduce the latent heat fluxes transporting from the ocean to the atmosphere and cause the flux of sensible heat to transfer downward from the atmosphere to the ocean.Such SST reduction also has remarkable impacts on the typhoon structure by making the typhoon more axisymmetric,especially in the middle and high levels.This study also analyzes the basic characteristics of symmetric typhoon structure.     

Causes of the Intraseasonal SST Variability in the Tropical Indian Ocean

Satellite observations reveal a much stronger intraseasonal sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the southern Indian Ocean along 5-10oS in boreal winter than in boreal summer. The cause of this seasonal dependence is studied using a 2?-layer ocean model forced by ERA-40 reanalysis products during 1987-2001. The simulated winter-summer asymmetry of the SST variability is consistent with the observed. A mixed-layer heat budget is analyzed. Mean surface westerlies along the ITCZ (5-10oS) in December-January-February (DJF) leads to an increased (decreased) evaporation in the westerly (easterly) phase of the intraseasonal oscillation (ISO), during which convection is also enhanced (suppressed). Thus the anomalous shortwave radiation, latent heat flux and entrainment effects are all in phase and produce strong SST signals. During June-July-August (JJA), mean easterlies prevail south of the equator. Anomalies of the shortwave radiation tend to be out of phase to those of the latent heat flux and ocean entrainment. This mutual cancellation leads to a weak SST response in boreal summer. The resultant SST tendency is further diminished by a deeper mixed layer in JJA compared to that in DJF. The strong intraseasonal SST response in boreal winter may exert a delayed feedback to the subsequent opposite phase of ISO, implying a two-way air-sea interaction scenario on the intraseasonal timescale. Citation: Li, T., F. Tam, X. Fu, et al., 2008: Causes of the intraseasonal SST variability in the tropical Indian ocean, Atmos. Oceanic Sci. Lett., 1, 18-23     

南海夏季风爆发前后海-气界面热交换特征

文中利用 2 0 0 0与 2 0 0 2年二次南海海 气通量观测资料和同期西沙站资料 ,研究了南海夏季风爆发前后海洋表面热收支变化特征。研究表明 :南海夏季风爆发前后 ,影响海面热收支变化的主要分量是净短波辐射通量和潜热通量 ,在季风爆发前后不同阶段 ,二个分量的变化有不同表现形式 ,但不论二者如何变化 ,季风爆发与活跃期 ,海面热收入减小或为净支出 ;季风爆发前及中断期间 ,海面热收入逐渐增加 ;由于大的热惯性 ,海温变化落后于海面热收支的变化 ,海温的这种滞后效应通过影响潜热通量调节海面热收支的变化 ,又反过来影响自身的变化 ,形成短期振荡过程 ,这种振荡过程与季风的活跃、中断过程相对应。     

Implementation of a Coupled Atmosphere-Wave-Ocean Model in the Mediterranean Sea: Sensitivity of the Short Time Scale Evolution to the Air-Sea Coupling Mechanisms

In this study a coupled regional atmosphere-wave-ocean model has been implemented in the Mediterranean Sea and applied to the simulation of the atmospheric circulation and of the upper ocean structure on the short time scale range typical of regional meteorological predictions. The coupling accounts for the feedback of the upper ocean on the atmospheric circulation, that is for the variation of the SST (Sea Surface Temperature) during the development of the cyclones and for the dependence of the SSR (Sea Surface Roughness) on the wind-wave spectrum. The model can operate also in uncoupled mode, with prescribed SST and SSR computed using the Charnock formula (depending on wind speed only). Six case-studies, characterized by strong cyclones and intense air-sea interaction, have been analyzed. A sensitivity analysis is carried out by comparing uncoupled and coupled simulations, carried out including the SST and SSR-feedbacks both separately and simultaneously. The feedbacks have systematic effects on the atmospheric precipitation, on heat and momentum fluxes, and, consequently, on MLD (Mixed Layer Depth), SST, and SWH (Significant Wave Height). For all these quantities, except for SWH, the two feedbacks act in opposite directions. The effect of the SST feedback is larger on latent heat flux, precipitation, sea surface cooling, and, marginally, on mixed layer growth and it determines their reduction when the two feedbacks act simultaneously. The SSR and SST-feedbacks have comparable effect on the SWH field and they both contribute to the SWH reduction. Though the SLP (Sea Level Pressure) and Geopotential minima of single "fall" case-studies can be appreciably modified by the inclusion of the feedbacks, no systematic effect has been identified in these fields, presumably because of the intrinsic unpredictability of the atmospheric circulation.     

东海黑潮区潜热变化对中国春季降水的影响及其影响过程

本文利用美国NCEP/NCAR再分析资料、哈德来(Hadley)中心海温数据、国家气候中心的观测站降水和客观分析海气通量(OAFlux)潜热感热通量资料,研究了1960~2010年春季黑潮区潜热输送对中国春季降水的影响及其影响过程。本文以黑潮流经的中国东部海域及邻近海域为研究对象,该区域是黑潮的主体区域,在文中简称为东海黑潮区。对中国东海以及邻近海域海温与降水的分析表明,在夏季该区域可能以大气强迫海洋为主,而在春冬两季可能主要为海洋强迫大气为主,秋季则可能为不明显的海气相互作用。在春季西北太平洋区域中感热和潜热都对黑潮流经的区域有比较好的敏感性,黑潮流经区域感热和潜热的气候平均值分别约为30 W m-2与120 W m-2;春季的感热通量标准差大值区主要集中在日本以西区域,潜热通量标准差主要集中在中国东海区域与日本东南区域(即东海黑潮区域)。春季潜热EOF第一模态的主要变化就集中在东海黑潮流域。相关分析与合成分析的结果表明,当黑潮潜热指数为正时,华南地区春季降水偏多,长江以北地区偏少,反之亦然。在物理过程分析中,黑潮潜热指数大于0.8时,长江以南的中国大陆有比较强盛的异常北风,使得水汽无法输送到更北的地区,导致在华南地区水汽的积累,并且在海面出现有利于降水的垂直运动异常延伸到大陆上,使华南地区降水增多,而长江以北的东部地区由于水汽输送偏弱,导致水汽积累偏少,从而降水减少。当黑潮指数小于-0.8时,有较强盛的异常南风,有利于水汽输送到北方地区,水汽在华北地区积累,导致长江以北出现降水正异常,而华南地区由于南风偏强,水汽输送加强,导致水汽无法在此区域积累,并且出现不利于降水的垂直运动异常,从而导致降水偏少。     

Understanding Madden-Julian-Induced sea surface temperature variations in the North Western Australian Basin

The strongest large-scale intraseasonal (30–110 day) sea surface temperature (SST) variations in austral summer in the tropics are found in the eastern Indian Ocean between Australia and Indonesia (North-Western Australian Basin, or NWAB). TMI and Argo observations indicate that the temperature signal (std. ~0.4 °C) is most prominent within the top 20 m. This temperature signal appears as a standing oscillation with a 40–50 day timescale within the NWAB, associated with ~40 Wm^?2 net heat fluxes (primarily shortwave and latent) and ~0.02 Nm^?2 wind stress perturbations. This signal is largely related to the Madden-Julian Oscillation. A slab ocean model with climatological observed mixed-layer depth and an ocean general circulation model both accurately reproduce the observed intraseasonal SST oscillations in the NWAB. Both indicate that most of the intraseasonal SST variations in the NWAB in austral winter are related to surface heat flux forcing, and that intraseasonal SST variations are largest in austral summer because the mixed-layer is shallow (~20 m) and thus more responsive during that season. The general circulation model indicates that entrainment cooling plays little role in intraseasonal SST variations. The larger intraseasonal SST variations in the NWAB as compared to the widely-studied thermocline-ridge of the Indian Ocean region is explained by the larger convective and air-sea heat flux perturbations in the NWAB.