Fluxes of amino acids and hexosamines to the deep South China Sea

Settling particles collected by sediment traps deployed between 1987 and 1999 in the northern, central and southwestern South China Sea (SCS) were analysed to study seasonal, interannual and spatial variations in the composition and flux of labile particulate matter. Results were combined with remote-sensing and surface-sediment data in order to describe the factors controlling the preservation of organic matter en route from the upper ocean to the seafloor. Organic carbon, amino acid and hexosamine fluxes generally follow the fluxes of total particulate matter, with maxima during the SW and NE monsoon periods. During non-El Niño conditions spectral amino acid distributions show that degradation of organic matter in the water column decreases as the flux rates increase. This is suggested to be the combined result of enhanced primary productivity, greater input of lithogenics serving as ballast to increase settling rates, and sorption of labile components to clay minerals. During El Niño conditions, in contrast, the degree of organic matter degradation is at very high and comparable levels at all trap sites. Flux component seasonality is strongly reduced except for the coastal upwelling areas, particularly off central Vietnam, which show significantly higher fluxes of organic carbon and lithogenic matter as compared to the open SCS. This suggests that the fluxes are affected by lateral advection of reworked organic matter from riverine sources or resuspended sediments from the nearby shelf/slope. Comparison of the measured organic carbon fluxes in 1200 m depth with those accumulating in surface sediments results in a more than 80% loss of organic matter before final burial in the sediments. The degree of organic matter preservation in the surface sediments of the deep SCS is distinctly lower than in other monsoonal oceans. This may be due to varying lithogenic input and almost complete dissolution of protective biogenic mineral matrices at greater water depth.     

阿拉伯海东部边缘地区的有机和无机碳的浓度与埋藏通量

海洋中到达海底的生物生产力的剩余部分包括以有机（Corg）和无机（主要是CaCO3）形式存在的碳物质与二氧化硅（SO2）。在海洋中,它们的浓度和目前的沉积通量（也称作是“rain rates”）可以通过沉积物捕获的方式来确定。海洋沉积物保留着这些记录,并且提供了过去沉积通量的信息。阿拉伯海是一个以高生物生产力（季风引起的）而著称的地区（Qasim,1977;Madhupratap等,1996）,     

Energetics and growth kinetics of a deep Prochlorococcus spp. population in the Arabian Sea

During the US JGOFS process studies in the Arabian Sea (1995), secondary fluorescence maxima (SFM) were observed frequently at the oxic–anoxic interface at the extreme base of the euphotic zone. These secondary peaks were most prominent during the early NE monsoon in the central oligotrophic portion of the Arabian Sea, although they were spatially and temporally variable. Based on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and flow cytometry analyses, SFM were determined to be populated almost exclusively by the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus spp. While SFM were about half the magnitude of primary fluorescence peaks, chlorophyll a biomass was typically an order of magnitude less than at the primary maxima (although total chlorophyll (a+b) differed only by a factor of two). Photosynthesis versus irradiance response curves revealed an efficient population adapted to extremely low light (∼0.02–0.05% surface irradiance) largely through increased light absorption capabilities. A theoretical spectral irradiance absorption efficiency model based on available spectral irradiance, individual cell properties, and bulk particulate spectral absorption also supports a well-adapted low-light population. Deck-incubated C-14 uptake as well as dilution growth experiments revealed instantaneous growth rates on the order of μ=0.01 d⁻¹. However, additional in situ observations suggest SFM populations may be more dynamic than the growth rates estimates from shipboard bottle incubations predict. We advance four hypotheses for the regulation of SFM populations including: (1) reduced loss rates, (2) discontinuous environmental conditions, (3) enhanced sub-oxic growth, and (4) physical mechanisms.     

Monsoon-controlled export fluxes to the interior of the Arabian Sea

As a part of the US-JGOFS Arabian Sea Process Study (ASPS), we deployed a mooring array consisting of 16 Mark-7G time-series sediment traps on five moorings, each in the mesopelagic and interior depths in the western Arabian Sea set along a transect quasi-perpendicular to the Omani coast. The array was deployed for 410 days to cover all monsoon and inter-monsoon phases at 4.25-, 8.5- or 17-day open-close intervals, all of which were synchronized at 17-day periods. Total mass flux, fluxes of organic, inorganic carbon, biogenic Si and lithogenic Al (mg m⁻² day⁻¹) were obtained from samples representing 667 independent periods. The average total mass fluxes estimated in the interior depth along this sediment trap array at Mooring Stations 1–5 (MS-1–5) during 1994-5 ASPS were 147, 235, 221, 164 and 63 mg m⁻² day⁻¹, respectively. Mass fluxes during the southwest (SW) Monsoon were always larger than during the northeast (NE) Monsoon at all divergent zone stations, but the difference was insignificant at the oligotrophic station, MS-5. Four major pulses of export flux events, two each at NE Monsoon and SW Monsoon, were observed in the divergent zone; these events dominated in quantity production of the annual mass flux, but did not dominate temporally. Export pulses were produced by passing eddies and wind-curl events, but the direct processes to produce individual export blooms at each station were diversified and highly complex. The onset of these pulses was generally synchronous throughout the divergent zone. Export pulses associated with specific biogeochemical signatures such as the ratio of elevated biogenic Si to inorganic carbon indicate a supply of deep water to the euphotic layer in varying degrees. The variability of mass fluxes at the oligotrophic station, MS-5, also represented both monsoon events, but with far less amplitude and without notable export pulses.     

On the heat budget of the Arabian Sea

This study analyzes the heat budget of the Arabian Sea using satellite-derived sea-surface temperature (SST) from 1985 to 1995 along with other data sets. For a better understanding of air–sea interaction, canonical average monthly fields representing the spatial and temporal structure of the various components of the heat balance of the Arabian Sea are constructed from up to 30 years of monthly atmospheric and oceanic data. The SST over the Arabian Sea is not uniform and continually evolves with time. Cooling occurs over most of the basin during November through January and May through July, with the greatest cooling in June and July. Warming occurs over most of the basin during the remainder of the year, with the greatest warming occurring in March and September. Results indicate that the sign of the net heat flux is strongly dependent on the location and month. The effects of net heat flux and penetrative solar radiation strongly influence the change in SST during February and are less important during August and September. Horizontal advection acts to cool the sea surface during the northeast monsoon months. During the southwest monsoon horizontal advection of surface waters warms the SST over approximately the southern half of the basin, while the advection of upwelled water from the Somalia and Oman coasts substantially cools the northern basin. The central Arabian Sea during the southwest monsoon is the only area where the change in SST is balanced by the entrainment and turbulent diffusion at the base of the mixed layer. Agreement between the temporal change in the satellite-derived SST and the change calculated from the conservation of heat equation is surprisingly good given the errors in the measured variables and the bulk formula parameters. Throughout the year, monthly results over half of the basin agree within 3°. Considering that the SST changes between 8° and 12° over the year, this means that our results explain from 62% to 75% of the change in SST over 56% of the Arabian Sea. Two major processes contribute to the discrepancy in the change in SST calculated according to the heat budget equation and the change in SST derived from satellite observations. The first is the effect of the horizontal advection term. The position of the major eddies and currents during the southwest monsoon greatly affects the change in SST due to the large gradient in temperature between the cold upwelled waters along the Somali coast to the warm waters in the interior of the basin. The second major process is the thermocline effect. In areas of shallow mixed-layer depth, high insolation and wind speeds of either less than 3 m/s or greater than 15 m/s, the bulk formulae parameterization of the surface heat fluxes is inappropriate.     

Monsoon-driven biogeochemical processes in the Arabian Sea

Although it is nominally a tropical locale, the semiannual wind reversals associated with the Monsoon system of the Arabian Sea result annually in two distinct periods of elevated biological activity. While in both cases monsoonal forcing drives surface layer nutrient enrichment that supports increased rates of primary productivity, fundamentally different entrainment mechanisms are operating in summer (Southwest) and winter (Northeast) Monsoons. Moreover, the intervening intermonsoon periods, during which the region relaxes toward oligotrophic conditions more typical of tropical environments, provide a stark contrast to the dynamic biogeochemical activity of the monsoons. The resulting spatial and temporal variability is great and provides a significant challenge for ship-based surveys attempting to characterize the physical and biogeochemical environments of the region. This was especially true for expeditions in the pre-satellite era.Here, we present an overview of the dynamical response to seasonal monsoonal forcing and the characteristics of the physical environment that fundamentally drive regional biogeochemical variability. We then review past observations of the biological distributions that provided our initial insights into the pelagic system of the Arabian Sea. These evolved through the 1980s as additional methodologies, in particular the first synoptic ocean color distributions gathered by the Coastal Zone Color Scanner, became available. Through analyses of these observations and the first large-scale physical–biogeochemical modeling attempts, a pre-JGOFS understanding of the Arabian Sea emerged. During the 1990s, the in situ and remotely sensed observational databases were significantly extended by regional JGOFS activities and the onset of Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor ocean color measurements. Analyses of these new data and coupled physical–biogeochemical models have already advanced our understanding and have led to either an amplification or revision of the pre-JGOFS paradigms. Our understanding of this complex and variable ocean region is still evolving. Nonetheless, we have a much better understanding of time–space variability of biogeochemical properties in the Arabian Sea and much deeper insights about the physical and biological factors that drive them, as well as a number of challenging new directions to pursue.     

Biogeochemical ocean-atmosphere transfers in the Arabian Sea

Transfers of some important biogenic atmospheric constituents, carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), molecular nitrogen (N₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), nitrate , ammonia (NH₃), methylamines (MAs) and dimethylsulphide (DMS), across the air–sea interface are investigated using published data generated mostly during the Arabian Sea Process Study (1992–1997) of the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS). The most important contribution of the region to biogeochemical fluxes is through the production of N₂ and N₂O facilitated by an acute, mid-water deficiency of dissolved oxygen (O₂); emissions of these gases to the atmosphere from the Arabian Sea are globally significant. For the other constituents, especially CO₂, even though the surface concentrations and atmospheric fluxes exhibit extremely large variations both in space and time, arising from the unique physical forcing and associated biogeochemical environment, the overall significance in terms of their global fluxes is not much because of the relatively small area of the Arabian Sea. Distribution and air–sea exchanges of some of these constituents are likely to be greatly influenced by alterations of the subsurface O₂ field forced by human-induced eutrophication and/or modifications to the regional hydrography.     

Response of subsurface waters in the eastern Arabian Sea to tropical cyclones

Thermister chain data at different depths for June 1998 cyclone in the Arabian Sea at a location (69.2 E,15.5 N) which is about 60 km to the left of the cyclone track indicates subsurface warming below 60 m and inertial oscillations of temperature with a periodicity of about 2 days. The oscillations continued for ∼15 days even after the cyclone crossed the coast. The analysis of the buoy, DS1 located at the same position also suggests a stabilized southward flow after about two weeks of the cyclone crossed the coast. Analysis of the buoy data for May 1999 cyclone in the same region also indicates similar pattern. In order to investigate the effect of cyclone–ocean interaction and primarily to understand the process for the subsurface warming, 3-dimensional Princeton Ocean Model is configured for the eastern part of the Arabian Sea. The model uses high horizontal resolution of about 6 km near the coast and a terrain following sigma coordinate in the vertical with 26 levels. The study focuses on surface cooling and temperature rise in the underlying waters and explains its mechanism through upwelling and downwelling respectively. The simulations in concurrence with the observations suggest that the occurrence of subsurface warming precedes the surface cooling with a lag of ˜a day as the cyclone advances DS1. The simulations also demonstrate local temperature stratification plays an important role for cooling of the upper ocean and warming of the subsurface waters and extent of warming is directly related to the depth of the thermocline.     

Features of the crustal structure of the Arabian Sea

An analysis of the gravity field and geoid heights allowed us to distinguish a third buried basin filled with sediments located in the southwestern part of the sea in the regions adjacent to the Carlsberg Ridge. From the previously known basins, it is separated by saddles. The saddles correspond to a series of faults and are possibly related to the pulse character of the northwestward prograding of the spreading axes of the Carlsberg Ridge. The continental origin of the Laxmi ridge is confirmed. The results of an analysis of the gravity field and its transformants, together with the two-dimensional density modeling, agree with the possibility of the existence of a spreading type of the crust (I) in the region of the Laxmi Basin. An analysis of the geoid height anomalies allows us to suggest that, with respect to the upper layers of the lithosphere, the Laxmi Ridge is not connected with the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge.     

Methane in coastal and offshore waters of the Arabian Sea

Measurements of methane (CH₄) made during two surveys in the eastern and central Arabian Sea in April–May, 1996, and August–September, 1997, corresponding to late Spring Intermonsoon (SI) and Southwest Monsoon (SWM) seasons, respectively, revealed high spatial and temporal variability in surface saturation (110–2521%). The highest values were observed during the SWM in the inner shelf where coastal upwelling combined with freshwater runoff to produce very strong near-surface stratification. These values might result to a large extent from CH₄ inputs from coastal wetlands through seasonal runoff as abnormally high saturations (up to ∼13,000%) were recorded in the estuarine surface water. In situ production of CH₄, favoured by very high biological production in conjunction with the prevalence of suboxic conditions in the upwelled water, could be the other major CH₄ source. In comparison, sedimentary inputs of CH₄ seemed to be of lesser importance in spite of previously-reported occurrence of gas-charged sediments in this region.Methane profiles in the open central Arabian Sea showed two maxima. The more pronounced deeper maximum, occurring at 150–200 m depth, was similar to the feature seen elsewhere in the oceans, but was probably intensified here due to an acute oxygen deficiency. It showed some correlation with the subsurface particle maximum characteristic of the denitrifying layer. The dominant mechanism of its formation might be in situ production within particles rather than advection from the continental shelf as concluded by previous workers. The less pronounced and previously unreported shallower maximum, occurring in the well-oxygenated upper 50 m of the water column, was more dynamic probably as a result of variability of the balance between CH₄ production due to biological activity and its losses through microbial oxidation and air–sea exchange.     

渤黄东海潮能通量与潮能耗散

利用同化高度计资料和沿岸验潮站资料对潮汐数值模式进行同化,根据同化后的数值模式结果,对渤黄东海中的潮能通量和潮能耗散进行了研究.M2分潮从太平洋进入渤黄东海的潮能为122.499GW,占4个主要分潮进入总量的79%.黄海是半日分潮潮能耗散的主要海区.全日分潮则主要耗散在东海.全日分潮在遇到陆坡的阻挡以后有一部分潮能沿着冲绳海槽向西南传播,并有一部分潮能反射回太平洋,其中O1分潮通过C3断面反射回太平洋的潮能,约占其传入东海潮能的44%.     

Nitrogen dynamics during the Arabian Sea Northeast Monsoon

This investigation focused on the weaker and less well understood of the two Arabian Sea monsoonal wind phases, the NE Monsoon, which persists for 3–4 months in the October to February period. Historically, this period has been characterized as a time of very low nutrient availability and low biological production. As part of the US JGOFS Arabian Sea Process Study, 17 stations were sampled on a cruise in January 1995 (late NE Monsoon) and, 15 stations were sampled on a cruise in November 1995 (early NE Monsoon). Only the southern most stations (10° and 12°N) and one shallow coastal station were as nutrient-depleted as had been expected from the few relevant prior studies in this region. Experiments were conducted to ascertain the relative importance of different nitrogenous nutrients and the sufficiency of local regeneration processes in supplying nitrogenous nutrients utilized in primary production. Except for the southern oligotrophic stations, the euphotic zone concentrations of NO₃⁻ were typically 5–10-fold greater than those of NO₂⁻ and NH₄⁺. There was considerable variation (20–40-fold) in nutrient concentration both within and between the two sections on each cruise. All nitrogenous nutrients were more abundant (2–4-fold) later in the NE Monsoon. Strong vertical gradients in euphotic zone NH₄⁺ concentration, with higher concentrations at depth, were common. This was in contrast to the nearly uniform euphotic zone concentrations for both NO₃⁻ and NO₂⁻. Half-saturation constants for uptake were higher for NO₃⁻ (1.7 μmol kg⁻¹ (s.d.=0.88, n=8)) than for NH₄⁺ (0.47 μmol kg⁻¹ (s.d.=0.33, n=5)). Evidence for the suppressing effect of NH₄⁺ on NO₃⁻ uptake was widespread, although not as severe as has been noted for some other regions. Both the degree of sensitivity of NO₃⁻ uptake to NH₄⁺ concentration and the half-saturation constant for NO₃⁻ uptake were correlated with ambient NO₃⁻ concentration. The combined effect of high affinity for low concentrations of NH₄⁺ and the effect of NH₄⁺ concentration on NO₃⁻ uptake resulted in similarly low f-ratios, 0.15 (s.d.=0.07, n=15) and 0.13 (s.d.=0.08, n=17), for early and late observations in the NE Monsoon, respectively. Stations with high f-ratios had the lowest euphotic zone NH₄⁺ concentrations, and these stations were either very near shore or far from shore in the most oligotrophic waters. At several stations, particularly early in the NE Monsoon, the utilization rates for NO₂⁻ were equal to or greater than 50% the utilization rates for NO₃⁻. When converted with a Redfield C : N value of 6.7, the total N uptake rates measured in this study were commensurate with measurements of C productivity. While nutrient concentrations at some stations approached levels low enough to limit phytoplankton growth, light was shown to be very important in regulating N uptake at all stations in this study. Diel periodicity was observed for uptake of all nitrogenous nutrients at all stations. The amplitude of this periodicity was positively correlated with nutrient concentration. The strongest of these relationships occurred with NO₃⁻. Ammonium concentration strongly influenced the vertical profiles for NO₃⁻ uptake as well as for NH₄⁺ uptake. Both NO₂⁻ and NH₄⁺ were regenerated within the euphotic zone at rates comparable to rates of uptake of these nutrients, and thus maintenance of mixed layer concentrations did not require diffusive or advective fluxes from other sources. Observed turnover times for NH₄⁺ were typically less than one day. Rapid turnover and the strong light regulation of NH₄⁺ uptake allowed the development and maintenance of vertical structure in NH₄⁺ concentration within the euphotic zone. In spite of the strong positive effect of light on NO₂⁻ uptake and its strong negative effect on NO₂⁻ production, the combined effects of much longer turnover times for this nutrient and mixed layer dynamics resulted in nearly uniform NO₂⁻ concentrations within the euphotic zone. Responses of the NE Monsoon planktonic community to light and nutrients, in conjunction with mixed layer dynamics, allowed for efficient recycling of N within the mixed layer. As the NE Monsoon evolved and the mixed layer deepened convectively, NO₂⁻ and NO₃⁻ concentrations increased correspondingly with the entrainment of deeper water. Planktonic N productivity increased 2-fold, but without a significant change the new vs. recycled N proportionality. Consequently, NO₃⁻ turnover time increased from about 1 month to greater than 3 months. This reflected the overriding importance of recycling processes in supplying nitrogenous nutrients for primary production throughout the duration of the NE Monsoon. As a result, NO₃⁻ supplied to the euphotic zone during the NE Monsoon is, for the most part, conserved for utilization during the subsequent intermonsoon period.     

Physical and biological response of the Arabian Sea to tropical cyclone Phyan and its implications

The response to the tropical cyclone Phyan, which developed in the eastern Arabian Sea during 9-11 November 2009, was rapid cooling of sea surface temperature (SST), enhancement of chlorophyll a and two-fold increase in net primary productivity (NPP). Cooling of SST was immediate in response to the strong wind-mixing, and the subsequent upward Ekman pumping sustained the cooling even after the dissipation of Phyan. The biological response mediated by the upward Ekman pumping driven vertical transport of subsurface nutrient showed a time lag of 3-4 days. The CO? flux to the atmosphere associated with Phyan was 0.123 Tg C, which accounted for ~85% of the total out-gassing from the eastern Arabian Sea during November. Thus, an increased occurrence of cyclones in a warming environment will lead to an enhanced biomass production and also increase in CO? out-gassing.     

Distributions and biogeochemistries of methylamines and ammonium in the Arabian Sea

The distributions of monomethylamine (MMA), dimethylamine (DMA), trimethylamine (TMA) and ammonium (NH⁺₄) were investigated in the Arabian Sea. The data set presented is the first to describe the distribution of MAs on an oceanic scale. Throughout the region concentrations of NH⁺₄ were up to two orders of magnitude greater than those of the MAs. MMA (0–66 nM) was generally the most abundant MA, whilst TMA was only found at concentrations <4 nM. Low concentrations of MAs in open-ocean meso- and oligotrophic regions contrasted with the elevated levels recorded in the highly productive coastal upwelling waters of the NW Arabian Sea. In total the MAs contributed <1% dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). Depth maxima of MMA and DMA were generally associated with those of Chla, and in offshore regions, also with those of NH⁺₄ (above the thermo-, oxy- and nitrataclines). Maxima of TMA were recorded at the base of the thermo- and oxyclines, resolved from the other analytes. Through correlation studies, a degree of diatom specific MMA production was inferred (R=0.65, p<0.001) and microzooplankton grazing found to influence significantly all aqueous MA concentrations. Enhanced correlation of MMA concentrations with mesozooplankton abundance was attributed to their ability to graze diatoms. These observations are analogous to those made of equivalent oceanographic regimes in the Mediterranean Sea (Gibb et al., 1994) and support the idea that MA concentrations in seawater are primarily regulated by the productive aspects of their biological dynamics. We postulate that the nitrogen taken up in nutrient-rich, diatom-dominated regions of the Arabian Sea will be used both biosynthetically and anabolically. This may be accompanied by introduction of MMA and DMA into the aqueous phase through enzymatic precursor degradation, nitrogen detoxification, senescence or lysis and accelerated through grazing pressures, particularly that of mesozooplankton on diatoms. In contrast, under the more oligotrophic conditions recorded in the remote Arabian Sea, those species of phytoplankton with a lower nitrogen demand are favoured, e.g., prymnesiophytes and dinoflagellates. Correspondingly lower MA concentrations are recorded in these regions.     

阿拉伯海热带气旋生成特征分析

利用印度气象局（India Meteorological Department,IMD）、国际气候管理最佳路径档案库（International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship,IBTrACS）提供的1982—2020年阿拉伯海热带气旋路径资料,美国国家环境预报中心（National Centers for Environmental Prediction,NCEP）再分析资料,对近39 a阿拉伯海热带气旋源地和路径特征、活跃区域、频数及气旋累积能量（accumulated cyclone energy,ACE）指数的季节特征和年际变化特征进行分析,并结合环境因素,说明其物理成因。结果表明：阿拉伯海热带气旋多发于10°~25°N,65°~75°E海域,5—6月、9—12月发生频数较高且强度较强,1—4月、7—8月发生频数较低且气旋近中心最大风速均小于35 kn;频数的季节变化主要受控于垂直风切变要素;阿拉伯海热带气旋发生频数和ACE近年有上升趋势,年际变化主要受控于海面温度（sea surface temperature,SST）和850 hPa相对湿度要素。     

Activity Concentrations and Fluxes of Radiocesium in the Southern Baltic Sea

The activity concentrations of dissolved¹³⁷Cs have been determined in the water column and¹³⁷Cs and¹³⁴Cs in the sediments and the sediment porewaters of the southern Baltic Sea. The mean activity concentration of dissolved¹³⁷Cs in the Gdansk Deep declined from 109 Bq m⁻³in June 1986 to 61 Bq m⁻³in 1999. In sediments, the activity concentrations of¹³⁷Cs (33-231 Bq kg⁻¹) were highest in muds and the activity concentrations of¹³⁴Cs were about 6% of the total Cs activity. The Chernobyl contribution to¹³⁷Cs activity was between 43% and 77%. The porewater activity concentrations of¹³⁷Cs in muddy sediments were in the range 71 to 3900 Bq m⁻³and were higher than those in the overlying seawater. The diffusive flux of dissolved¹³⁷Cs from the muddy sediments was estimated in the range 5 to 480 Bq m⁻²year⁻¹. The flux of¹³⁷Cs from sediment porewaters of the southern Baltic Sea was about 45% of the total, including fluxes of¹³⁷Cs from wet and dry atmospheric deposition and the fluvial inputs. The results were used to elucidate the rate of recovery of the sediments and the waters of the southern Baltic from Chernobyl-derived¹³⁷Cs.     

Seasonal variations of the Arabian Sea level anomaly fields and circulation

The changes in the field of the Arabian Sea level anomaly and the geostrophic currents are analyzed based on the data of satellite altimetry measurements in 1993–2008 within the framework of the AVISO project. On the intra-annual scale, the current field generally agrees with the circulation schemes published in a number earlier works. Their differences are due to the occurrence of the mesoscale eddies and jet currents revealed by the authors.     

Phytoplankton community characteristics in the coastal waters of the southeastern Arabian Sea Phytoplankton community characteristics in the coastal waters of the southeastern Arabian Sea

Remote sensing applications are important in the fisheries sector and efforts were on to improve the predic-tions of potential fishing zones using ocean color. The present study was aimed to investigat...     

Structure and mechanisms of the Arabian Sea variability during the winter monsoon

In the southern Arabian Sea (between the Equator and 10°N), the shoaling of isotherms at subsurface levels (20 °C isotherm depth is located at ∼90 m) leads to cooling at 100 m by 2–3 °C relative to surrounding waters during the winter monsoon. The annual and interannual variations of this upwelling zone, which we call the Arabian Sea dome (ASD), are studied using results from an eddy-permitting ocean general circulation model in conjunction with hydrography and TOPEX/ERS altimeter data. The ASD first appears in the southeastern Arabian Sea during September–October, maturing during November–December to extend across the entire southern Arabian Sea (along ∼5°N). It begins to weaken in January and dissipates by March in the southwestern Arabian Sea. From the analysis of heat-budget balance terms and a pair of model control experiments, it is shown that the local Ekman upwelling induced by the positive wind-stress curl of the winter monsoon generates the ASD in the southeastern Arabian Sea. The ASD decays due to the weakening of the cyclonic curl of the wind and the westward penetration of warm water from the east (Southern Arabian Sea High). The interannual variation of the ASD is governed by variations in the Ekman upwelling induced by the cyclonic wind-stress curl. Associated with the unusual winds during 1994–1995 and 1997–1998 Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) periods, the ASD failed to develop. In the absence of the ASD during the IOD events, the 20 °C isotherm depth was 20–30 m deeper than normal in the southern Arabian Sea resulting in a temperature increase at 97 m of 4–5 °C. An implication is that the SST evolution in the southern Arabian Sea during the winter monsoon is primarily controlled by advective cooling: the shoaling of isotherms associated with the ASD leads to SST cooling.