The circulation of the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

During the 1950s and 1960s, an extensive field study and interpretive effort was made by researchers, primarily at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, to sample and understand the physical oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific. That work was inspired by the valuable fisheries of the region, the recent discovery of the equatorial undercurrent, and the growing realization of the importance of the El Niño phenomenon. Here we review what was learned in that effort, and integrate those findings with work published since then as well as additional diagnoses based on modern data sets.Unlike the central Pacific, where the winds are nearly zonal and the ocean properties and circulation are nearly independent of longitude, the eastern tropical Pacific is distinguished by wind forcing that is strongly influenced by the topography of the American continent. Its circulation is characterized by short zonal scales, permanent eddies and significant off-equatorial upwelling. Notably, the Costa Rica Dome and a thermocline bowl to its northwest are due to winds blowing through gaps in the Central American cordillera, which imprint their signatures on the ocean through linear Sverdrup dynamics. Strong annual modulation of the gap winds and the meridional oscillation of the Intertropical Convergence Zone generates a Rossby wave, superimposed on the direct forcing, that results in a southwestward-propagating annual thermocline signal accounting for major features of observed thermocline depth variations, including that of the Costa Rica Dome, the Tehuantepec bowl, and the ridge–trough system of the North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC). Interannual variability of sea surface temperature (SST) and altimetric sea surface height signals suggests that the strengthening of the NECC observed in the central Pacific during El Niño events continues all the way to the coast, warming SST (by zonal advection) in a wider meridional band than the equatorially trapped thermocline anomalies, and pumping equatorial water poleward along the coast.The South Equatorial Current originates as a combination of equatorial upwelling, mixing and advection from the NECC, and Peru coastal upwelling, but its sources and their variability remain unresolved. Similarly, while much of the Equatorial Undercurrent flows southeast into the Peru Undercurrent and supplies the coastal upwelling, a quantitative assessment is lacking. We are still unable to put together the eastern interconnections among the long zonal currents of the central Pacific.     

Effects of the seasonal variation in chlorophyll concentration on sea surface temperature in the global ocean

The effects of biological heating on the upper-ocean temperature of the global ocean are investigated using two ocean-only experiments forced by prescribed atmospheric fields during 1990–2007, on with fixed constant chlorophyll concentration, and the other with seasonally varying chlorophyll concentration. Although the existence of high chlorophyll concentrations can trap solar radiation in the upper layer and warm the surface, cooling sea surface temperature (SST) can be seen in some regions and seasons. Seventeen regions are selected and classified according to their dynamic processes, and the cooling mechanisms are investigated through heat budget analysis. The chlorophyll-induced SST variation is dependent on the variation in chlorophyll concentration and net surface heat flux and on such dynamic ocean processes as mixing, upwelling and advection. The mixed layer depth is also an important factor determining the effect. The chlorophyll-induced SST warming appears in most regions during the local spring to autumn when the mixed layer is shallow, e.g., low latitudes without upwelling and the mid-latitudes. Chlorophyll-induced SST cooling appears in regions experiencing strong upwelling, e.g., the western Arabian Sea, west coast of North Africa, South Africa and South America, the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, and strong mixing (with deep mixed layer depth), e.g., the mid-latitudes in winter.     

Remotely sensed variability of temperature and chlorophyll in the southern Benguela: upwelling frequency and phytoplankton response

High-resolution (1km) satellite data from the NOAA AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) and OrbView-2 SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor) are used to investigate the upper layer dynamics of the southern Benguela ecosystem in more detailed space and time scales than previously undertaken. A consistent time-series of daily sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll a concentration images is generated for the period July 1998–June 2003, and a quantitative analysis undertaken. The variability in SST, upwelling and phytoplankton biomass is explored for selected biogeographic regions, with particular focus on intra-seasonal time scales. The location and emergence of upwelling cells are clearly identified along the length of the southern Benguela, being distinct on the narrow inner and the mid-continental shelves. Most notable is the rapidly pulsating nature of the upwelling, with intense warm/cold events clearly distinguished. The phytoplankton response to this physical forcing is described. Chlorophyll concentration on the inner shelf largely mirrors the pattern of SST variability, similarly dominated by event-scale processes. Over the mid-shelf, higher chlorophyll is observed throughout all seasons, although low biomass occurs during winter. The variability of the offshore extent of SST and chlorophyll is identified at locations of differing shelf width. Cooler upwelled water is confined primarily to the narrow inner-shelf, with event-scale pulses extending considerable distances offshore. Agulhas Current influences are readily observed, even on the Cape Peninsula inner-shelf. Chlorophyll concentrations vary considerably between the locations of differing shelf width. SST, upwelling and phytoplankton indices are derived for selected locations to quantify the intra-seasonal variations. The SST indices show marked temperature changes associated with rapid pulsation on the event scale. No strong seasonal signal is evident. In contrast, the upwelling indices display a strong seasonal signal, with most intense upwelling occurring in spring/summer in the south. The phytoplankton response to the seasonal upwelling index differs between the selected locations. This study concludes that, although low-resolution SST and chlorophyll data may be useful for investigating general patterns over large scales, higher resolution data are necessary to identify finer scale spatial and temporal variability, especially in the inshore coastal zones.     

Unusual large-scale phytoplankton blooms in the equatorial Pacific

Unusual large-scale accumulations of phytoplankton occurred across 10,000 km of the equatorial Pacific during the 1998 transition from El Niño to La Niña. The forcing and dynamics of these phytoplankton blooms were studied using satellite-based observations of sea surface height, temperature and chlorophyll, and mooring-based observations of winds, hydrography and ocean currents. During the bloom period, the thermocline (nutricline) was anomalously shallow across the equatorial Pacific. The relative importance of processes that enhanced nutrient flux into the euphotic zone differed between the western and eastern regions of the blooms. In the western bloom region, the important vertical processes were turbulent vertical mixing and wind-driven upwelling. In contrast, the important processes in the eastern bloom region were wave-forced shoaling of nutrient source waters directly into the euphotic zone, along-isopycnal upwelling, and wind-driven upwelling. Advection by the Equatorial Undercurrent spread the largest bloom 4500 km east of where it began, and advection by meridional currents of tropical instability waves transported the bloom hundreds of kilometers north and south of the equator. Many processes influenced the intricate development of these massive biological events. Diverse observations and novel analysis methods of this work advance the conceptual framework for understanding the complex dynamics and ecology of the equatorial Pacific.     

Phytoplankton pigment and absorption characteristics along meridional transects in the Atlantic Ocean

Pigment patterns and associated absorption properties of phytoplankton were investigated in the euphotic zone along two meridional transects in the Atlantic Ocean, between the UK and the Falkland Islands, and between South Africa and the UK. Total chlorophyll a (TChla=MVChla+DVChla+chlorophyllide a) concentrations and the biomarker pigments for diatoms (fucoxanthin), nanoflagellates and cyanobacteria (zeaxanthin) appeared to have similar distribution patterns in the spring and in the autumn in the temperate NE Atlantic and the northern oligotrophic gyre. Divinyl chlorophyll a levels (prochlorophytes) were greater in spring at the deep chlorophyll maximum in the oligotrophic gyre, however. Marked seasonal differences were observed in the NW African upwelling region. TChla concentrations were twice as high in the upper mixed layer in the spring, with the community dominated by diatoms and prymnesiophytes (19′-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin). A layered structure was prevalent in the autumn where cyanobacteria, diatoms and prymnesiophytes were located in the upper water column and diatoms and mixed nanoflagellates at the sub-surface maximum. In the South Atlantic, the Benguela upwelling ecosystem and the Brazil-Falklands Current Confluence Zone (BFCCZ) were the most productive regions with the TChla levels being twice as high in the Benguela. Diatoms dominated the Benguela system, while nanoflagellates were the most ubiquitous group in the BFCCZ. Pigment concentrations were greater along the eastern boundary of the southern oligotrophic gyre and distributed at shallower depths. Deep chlorophyll maxima were a feature of the western boundary oligotrophic waters, and cyanobacteria tended to dominate the upper water column along both transects with a mixed group of nanoflagellates at the chlorophyll maximum.Absorption coefficients were estimated from spectra reconstructed from pigment data. Although absorption was greater in the productive areas, the TChla-specific coefficients were higher in oligotrophic regions. In communities that were dominated by diatoms or nanoflagellates, pigment absorption was generally uniform with depth and attenuating irradiance, with TChla being the major absorbing pigment at 440 nm and photosynthetic carotenoids (PSC) at 490 nm. Absorption by chlorophyll c and photoprotective carotenoids (PPC) was much lower. Populations where cyanobacteria were prevalent were characterized by high PPC absorption, particularly at 490 nm, throughout most of the euphotic zone. The data suggested that the effect of pigments on the variability of phytoplankton absorption was due primarily to the variations in absorption by PPC.     

Local advective mechanism for interdecadal variability in circulations driven by constant surface heat fluxes in idealized basins

Idealized numerical experiments with a depth level coordinate ocean circulation model (GFDL MOM3) have been conducted to investigate the structure of interdecadal variability from thermally driven circulations. The model oceans are driven by steady surface heat fluxes in the absence of surface wind stresses. Interdecadal variability is observed, with characteristics similar to those reported in many previous studies. To explain the nature of the variability we propose a new mechanism based on two local horizontal advective processes. This overcomes the limitations in previous theories based on the interplay between global properties such as zonal and meridional temperature gradients and overturning. One of the two advective processes is a zonal flow anomaly induced by a temperature anomaly along the northern wall through geostrophy southward of the temperature anomaly. A cold (warm) anomaly along the northern wall produces a positive (negative) zonal flow anomaly that induces a warm (cold) temperature anomaly by enhancing (weakening) warm advection from the western boundary along the path of the zonal flow anomaly. The temperature and flow anomalies are transported toward the eastern boundary by the mean eastward zonal flow. When the positive (negative) zonal flow anomaly that accompanies the warm (cold) temperature anomaly encounters the eastern wall, a downwelling (upwelling) anomaly is produced. To dissipate the vorticity due to this downwelling (upwelling) anomaly, a northward (southward) flow anomaly, which is another advective process governing the variability, is generated within a frictional boundary layer next to the eastern wall. The northward (southward) flow anomaly circulates cyclonically along the perimeter of the basin while enhancing (reducing) warm advection. So does the warm (cold) temperature anomaly carried to the eastern wall by the mean zonal flow while pushing the cold (warm) anomaly that produced the positive (negative) zonal flow anomaly westward and initiating the other half cycle of the variability. During the anomalous downwelling or upwelling, the available potential energy stored in the anomalous density field is released to maintain the variability. Thus, neither barotropic nor baroclinic instability supplies energy for the variability. The anomalous vertical velocity is stronger along the northern boundary and the northern part of the eastern boundary. A shallow continental slope added along those boundaries prohibits the anomalous vertical motion and weakens variability very effectively, while one along the western boundary does not.     

Coupled seasonal variability in the South China Sea

The present study documents the relationship between seasonal variations in sea surface temperature (SST) and precipitation in the South China Sea (SCS) region. There are strong interactions between the atmosphere and ocean in the seasonal variations of SST and precipitation. During the transition to warm and cold seasons, the SST tendency is primarily contributed by net heat flux dominated by shortwave radiation and latent heat flux with a complementary contribution from ocean advection and upwelling. The contribution of wind-driven oceanic processes depends on the region and is more important in the northern SCS than in the southern SCS. During warm and cold seasons, local SST forcing contributes to regional precipitation by modulating the atmospheric stability and lower-level moisture convergence. The SST difference between the SCS and the western North Pacific influences the convection over the SCS through its modulation of the circulation pattern.     

Spectral absorption coefficient of photosynthetically active pigments in the equatorial Pacific Ocean (165°11–150°W)

Spectral absorption coefficients of total particulate material and detritus were measured throughout the euphotic zone along the equator between 165°E and 150°W and during time-series for each of these two longitudes in October 1994 (JGOFS-FLUPAC cruise). The sum of pigments obtained by spectrofluorometry (tChla=DV−chla+Chla) was used for normalization (and was also compared to fluorometric and HPLC measurements as an intercalibration study). In order to assess the specific absorption coefficient of photosynthetically active pigments (aps) from the pigment-specific absorption coefficient for phytoplankton (a_ph^*), we made a multiple regression analysis of measured phytoplankton absorption spectra onto publishedin vivo spectra of pure pigments. This made it possible to calculate the concentrations of photoprotective carotenoids (tPPC) when HPLC measurements were not available and thus to subtract their contribution to absorption from the total phytoplanktonic absorption coefficient (a_ph). Methodological uncertainties in both coefficients used for calculating absorption coefficients and in pigment measurements are discussed. Pigments and absorption measurements made during the cruise enabled us to describe two typical trophic regimes in the equatorial Pacific ocean: oligotrophic waters of the ”warm pool“ west of 170°W and high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll waters (HNLC) of the upwelling east of 170°W. The vertical decreasing gradient of a_ph^* from the surface to the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) was due to a high tPPC/tChla ratio at the surface and was higher in the oligotrophic (0.14-0.065 m² mg (tChla)⁻¹ biomass dominated byProchlorococcus, rich in zeaxanthin) than in the mesotrophic area (0.07-0.06 m2 mg (tChl a)-' biomass dominated by picoeucaryotes). Below the DCM,a_ph^* reached a similar minimum value in both oligotrophic and mesotrophic areas.a^*_ps varied less than a^*_ph from the surface layer to the DCM in both oligotrophic and mesotrophic areas. The difference in a^*_ph and a^*_ps from west to east of the transect could be interpreted as a shift in the phytoplankton composition, with a dominance of procaryotes in the west and a dominance of eucaryotes in the upwelling area. Higher aps in well-lit typical oligotrophic waters indicated that phytoplankton communities dominated byProclorococcus might be more efficient for capturing light usable for photosynthesis than those present in the HNLC situation.     

赤道中印度洋上层环流结构与季节变化特征分析

本文通过分析RAMA印度洋观测浮标系统锚系ADCP实测资料,对赤道中印度洋上层海流季节变化进行了研究。研究结果表明,0°,80.5°E纬向流垂向剖面呈现上150m层一致的东向流,而经向流在100m以浅呈现表层向北次表层向南的翻转流结构。赤道中印度洋上层纬向流季节信号被半年周期的东向射流Wyrtki Jets(WJs)所控制。WJs发生于季风方向转换的季节,4—5月份较弱,10—11月份较强。赤道中印度洋上层经向流年周期信号显著。北半球夏季与冬季分别出现风应力旋度驱动的Sverdrup南向流与北向流。本文结论为赤道中印度洋上层环流季节变化特征的研究提供了观测角度的支持。     

The Western Boundary of the Equatorial Pacific Upwelling: Some Consequences of Climatic Variability on Hydrological and Planktonic Properties

The longitude of the western limit of the equatorial Pacific upwelling is a key parameter for studies of carbon budget and pelagic fisheries variability. Although it is well defined at the surface on the equator by a salinity front and a sharp variation of the partial pressure of CO₂, data from two equatorial cruises make it clear that this hydrological limit does not necessarily coincide with the boundary of the nitrate and chlorophyll enriched area. In January-February 1991 during a non-El Niño period, when trade winds and the South Equatorial current (SEC) were favorable to upwelling, the two limits were at the same longitude. Conversely, in September-October 1994 during El Niño conditions, when the equatorial upwelling had stopped, the nitrate and chlorophyll enriched zone was found a few degrees of longitude east of the hydrological boundary (5.5° at the surface and 2.5° for the 50 m upper layer), whereas no such offset was observed for zooplankton biomass. A simple model, based on the HNLC (High Nutrient - Low Chlorophyll) ecosystem functioning, was initialized with nitrate uptake measurements and estimates of upwelling break duration. The model results support the hypothesis that zonal separation of the limits arises from biological processes (i.e. nitrate uptake and phytoplankton grazing) achieved during that upwelling break.     

南海中西部叶绿素时空变化特征分析

本文使用2003年1月—2019年12月MODIS遥感数据,结合海表温度、风速分析南海中西部叶绿素质量浓度分布特征和影响因素。结果显示南海中西部叶绿素质量浓度分布存在时空变化。EOF分解表明,EOF1可能反映台风等极端天气对叶绿素的影响;而EOF2 和EOF3均反映了夏季沿岸上升流对叶绿素分布的影响。相关分析表明南海中西部叶绿素质量浓度与海面风场呈正相关(r=0.87,p<0.01),与海表温度呈负相关(r=-0.59,p<0.05)。夏季在西南季风影响下越南东南沿海形成上升流,导致该区浮游植物旺发、叶绿素质量浓度升高;冬季受强东北季风影响,研究区海洋上层混合作用强烈,营养盐供应增加,促进了浮游植物生长,叶绿素质量浓度高于其他季节。     

2012年夏季楚科奇海浮游动物垂直迁移及上升流对其生物量的影响

The diel vertical migration(DVM) of zooplankton and the influence of upwelling on zooplankton biomass were examined using water column data of current velocity and mean volume backscattering strength(MVBS)collected by moored acoustic Doppler current profilers(ADCPs) deployed in the southeastern Chukchi Sea during the 5th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition(CHINARE) in summer 2012, combined with the satellite observational data such as sea surface temperature(SST), wind, and chlorophyll a(Chl a). Hourly acoustic data were continuously collected for 49-d in the mooring site. Spectral analysis indicated that there were different migrating patterns of zooplankton, even though precisely classifying the zooplankton taxa was not available. The prevailing 24-h cycle corresponded to the normal DVM with zooplankton swimming upwards at sunrise and returning to deep waters at sunset. There was a clear DVM in the upper 17 m of the water column during the period with distinct day-night cycles, and no active DVM throughout the water column when the sun above the horizon(polar day), suggesting that light intensity was the trigger for DVM. Also there was a second migrating pattern with 12-h cycle. The upwelling event occurring in the northwest of Alaskan coastal area had important influence on zooplankton biomass at the mooring site. During the upwelling, the SST close to the mooring site dropped significantly from maximal 6.35°C to minimal 1.31°C within five days. Simultaneously, there was a rapid increase in the MVBS and Chl a level, suggesting the aggregation of zooplankton related to upwelling.     

Impact of tropical instability waves on nutrient and chlorophyll distributions in the equatorial Pacific

This work quantifies the role of tropical instability waves (TIWs) in modulating nutrient and chlorophyll distributions in the equatorial Pacific through an analysis of satellite data and a case study of in situ observations. A TIW index is constructed to differentiate periods of strong and weak TIW activity. TIW impacts are first examined in monthly averaged satellite SST and chlorophyll data for three distinct regions north of the equator where TIWs are most active. The chlorophyll data are high-pass filtered to preserve the seasonal cycle and remove long-term trends. Although SST follows a predictable relationship with the TIW index, chlorophyll concentrations do not. Periods of high TIW activity are characterized by cooler SSTs but consistently low chlorophyll. A case study of individual TIW vortices demonstrates that their impact on nutrients and chlorophyll is a function of intensity. Strong TIWs drive reductions in nutrients and chlorophyll due to the subduction of nutrient-replete water north of the equator and the advection of nutrient-poor water toward the equator from adjacent to the upwelling zone. Weak TIWs do not drive these advective processes to the same degree, so retain elevated nutrients that fuel chlorophyll increases. The most positive effect on nutrients and chlorophyll by TIWs was observed during boreal winter, likely owing to thermocline topography. A shallower thermocline in combination with weak TIWs results in elevated nutrients and chlorophyll north of the equator. Given the variability associated with TIW intensity and season, generalizing TIW effects has proven difficult, but targeted Lagrangian studies will better characterize these dynamic features and their impact on elemental fluxes.     

Effects of iron limitation on intracellular cadmium of cultured phytoplankton: Implications for surface dissolved cadmium to phosphate ratios

This study compares intracellular Cd content (Cd:C) of cultured marine phytoplankton grown under various Fe levels, with estimated particulate Cd:P ratios derived from regression slopes of Cd versus PO₄³⁻ relationships from a global dataset. A 66-fold difference in Cd:C ratios was observed among the seven species grown under identical Fe concentrations, with oceanic diatoms having the highest Cd quotas and prymesiophytes the lowest. Interestingly, all species significantly increased their Cd:C ratios under Fe-limitation (on average 2-fold). The global data set also showed that the mean estimated Cd:P ratio of surface water particulates in HNLC (high nutrient low chlorophyll) regions were approximately 2-fold higher than non-HNLC regions. A sequence of events are proposed to explain high Cd:P ratios in HNLC waters. First, the seasonal relief from Fe-limitation in HNLC regions leads to blooms of large chain forming diatoms with high intrinsic Cd:P ratios. These large blooms may, in theory, deplete surface water CO₂ and Zn concentrations, which ultimately, would result in increased Cd uptake. Eventually these blooms will run out of Fe, which has been shown to further increase intercellular Cd via growth biodilution and increased Cd uptake through non-specific Fe(II) transporters. Ultimately, Fe-limited diatoms with enhanced Cd quotas will sink out of surface waters leading to pronounced regional differences in Cd:P ratios between HNLC and non-HNLC waters in the global ocean.     

Coastal Upwelling Activity on the Pacific Shelf of the Baja California Peninsula

High primary productivity on the Pacific coast of the Baja California Peninsula is usually related to coastal upwelling activity that injects nutrients into the euphotic zone in response to prevailing longshore winds (from the northwest to north). The upwelling process has maximum intensity from April to June, with the coastal upwelling index varying from 50 to 300 m³/s per 100 m of coastline. Along the entire coast of the peninsula, the upwelling intensity changes in accordance with local wind conditions and bottom topography. Spatial variability can also be modulated by the influence of mesoscale meanders of the California Current. We have identified the seasonal and synoptic variability of upwelling signatures on the Baja California shelf, using averaged monthly and weekly sea surface temperature (SST) distributions obtained from remote sensing imagery from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer in the period from 1996 to 2001. Analysis of SST distribution and direct experimental data on temperature and nutrient concentration shows that the areas with the coldest SST anomalies were closely related to the bottom slope, shelf width, and coastline orientation relating to wind direction. We also assume that the nutrient transport into the coastal lagoons may be forced by the coupling of coastal upwelling and tidal pumping of surface waters into the lagoon system. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The seasonal variation of undercurrent and temperature in the equatorial Pacific jointly derived from buoy measurement and assimilation analysis

Based on the TOGA-TAO buoy chain observed data in the equatorial Pacific and the assimilation analysis results from SODA(simple ocean data assimilation analysis), the role of the meridional cells in the subsurface of the tropical Pacific was discussed. It was found that, the seasonal varying direction of EUC (the quatorial Undercurrent)in the Peacific is westwards beginning from the eastern equatorial Pacific in the boreal spring. The meridional cell south of the equator plays important role on this seasonal change of EUC.On the other hand, although the varying direction is westwards,the seasonal variation of temperature in the same region gets its minimum values in the boreal autumn beginning from the eastern equatorial Pacific.The meridional cell north of the equator is most responsible for the seasonal temperature variation in the eastern equatorial Pacific while the meridional cell south of the equator mainly controls the seasonal temperature change in the central Pacific. It is probably true that the asymmetry by the equator is an important factor influencing the seasonal cycle of EUC and temperature in the tropical Pacific.     

Upwelling and the distribution of chlorophyll a within the Bay of Concepción,Chile

The influence of upwelling on the distribution of chlorophyll a within the Bay of Concepción, Chile is discussed in light of continuous measurements of surface in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence and temperature taken simultaneously along horizontal transects, and hydrographic stations' data. Results suggest significant temporal variability both in the distribution of in vivo fluorescence, temperature and salinity within the Bay and in the characteristics of the exchange between the Bay and the adjacent shelf waters, induced by variable upwelling. Upwelling is produced by the predominant south-westerly winds during the summer. Significant variations in the wind direction occur with periods from two to seven days. During active upwelling, exchange is characterized by a surface outflow through the mouth of the Bay and an inflow at depth. Low chlorophyll fluorescence is confined to the upwelling areas on the eastern shore either within or outside the Bay; high chlorophyll fluorescence is confined to the central and western Bay. Density data suggest a three-layered circulation pattern at the mouth of the Bay during the upwelling relaxation involving an inflow both at the surface and bottom and outflow at mid-depth. Associated with this exchange is an active high chlorophyll transport from the Bay to the adjacent coastal waters at mid-depth and inflow of low chlorophyll water from the adjacent shelf at the surface and near the bottom.     

ENSO related modulation of coastal upwelling in the eastern Atlantic

An index of ENSO in the Pacific during early boreal winter is shown to account for a significant part of the variability of coastal SST anomalies measured a few months later within the wind driven West African coastal upwelling region from 10°N to 26°N. This teleconnection is thought to result from an atmospheric bridge between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, leading to warm (cold) ENSO events being associated with a relaxation (intensification) of the Atlantic trade winds and of the wind-induced coastal upwelling. This ENSO related modulation of the wind-driven coastal upwelling appears to contribute to the connection observed at the basin-scale between ENSO and SST in the north Atlantic. The ability to use this teleconnection to give warnings of large changes in the West African upwelling several months in advance is successfully tested using data from the 1998 and 1999 ENSO events.     

Study of 19-year Satellite Sea Surface Temperature Variability along the West Coast of India

The seasonal and interannual variation of upwelling along the west coast of India between 8°N and 24°N was studied for the period 1985 through 2003 using NOAA-AVHRR sea surface temperature data. The seasonal migration of pronounced upwelling, which follows the seasonal shift of the winds in southwest monsoon period and northeast monsoon, was confined. The temporal mean sea surface temperature images clearly show the upwelling season, as does the seasonal sea surface temperature anomaly. These dominate features of the upwelling system are also the most variable, with most of the variance being explained by the seasonal cycle. Quasi-cyclic behavior of seas surface temperature on interannual scales has also been observed.     

The Newport line off Oregon - Studies in the North East Pacific

The Newport Hydrographic (NH) Line along 44.65°N off central Oregon was sampled seasonally during two epochs: 1961-1971 through the TENOC program and 1997-2003 through the GLOBEC Northeast Pacific Long Term Observations Program (LTOP); some observations are available for 2004 and 2005. During TENOC, the line extended 305 km offshore to 128°W, with stations 18 km apart over the continental shelf and 36 km offshore. During LTOP, the line was shorter (to 126°W) with closer station spacing over the continental shelf (9 km apart) and slope (18 km apart). LTOP cruises included biochemical sampling and underway current measurements. During both TENOC and LTOP, the seasonal cycle is very strong (accounting for >50% of the variance in surface layer properties), with rapid transitions in spring and fall. The summer regime is subject to coastal upwelling driven by southward winds, equatorward surface currents, and advection of low-salinity waters from the Columbia River. The winter regime off Newport is subject to coastal downwelling and poleward surface currents driven by northeastward winds. Comparison between TENOC and LTOP summer regimes shows the near-surface layer (0-100 m) at most locations is significantly warmer and fresher during LTOP than TENOC, and steric heights over the continental margin are significantly higher. Comparison of LTOP and TENOC winters shows that average differences at most locations were not statistically significant, but that the variance of steric height and shelf-break temperatures was significantly higher during LTOP than TENOC. Interannual variability of climate indices is also stronger during LTOP, which included a rare Subarctic invasion in 2002 as well as the strong 1997-1998 El Niño. During both TENOC and LTOP, interannual variability of steric height is closely related to the El Niño/La Niña cycle. Nutrient concentrations and nitrate-to-phosphate ratios of upwelling-source waters vary inversely with halocline temperature. Both reflect alongshore advection by coastal currents: southward currents bring cool, nitrate-rich waters in summer (especially during the Subarctic invasion), and northward currents bring relatively warm, nitrate-poor waters to the NH line in winter (especially during El Niño). Seasonal and interannual variations in the nutrient level of upwelling-source water are reflected in time series of vertically-integrated chlorophyll over the LTOP survey region (about 150 km by 300 km). Seasonal variations in chlorophyll and currents are congruent with seasonal variations in copepod biomass and diversity. We were not successful in establishing a clear connection between chlorophyll levels and interannual variations in copepod biomass or diversity, nor in explaining the large decrease in the survival rate of coho salmon between TENOC (6%) and LTOP (3%).