Surface layer temperature inversion in the Arabian Sea during winter

Surface layer temperature inversion in the south eastern Arabian Sea, during winter has been studied using Bathythermograph data collected from 1132 stations. It is found that the inversion in this area is a stable seasonal feature and the occurrence is limited to the coastal waters. The inversion layer is found to have thickness varying from 10 to 80 meters and gradient of 0.0–1.2°C. The causative factor for the inversion is identified to be the winter-time surface-advection of cold less saline Bay of Bengal water over the warm saline Arabian Sea water along the west coast of India. Finally, the possible forcing mechanism for such an advection was examined using a hydrographic section and wind observations along the west coast of India.