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Phytoplankton influences on tropical climate
Author(s) -
Timmermann Axel,
Jin FeiFei
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2002gl015434
Subject(s) - phytoplankton , sea surface temperature , environmental science , positive feedback , tropical marine climate , climatology , oceanography , asymmetry , tropical climate , mixed layer , atmospheric sciences , atmosphere (unit) , effects of global warming on oceans , amplitude , climate change , global warming , geology , physics , biology , meteorology , ecology , nutrient , engineering , quantum mechanics , electrical engineering
We study the effect of ocean biology on tropical surface temperatures using a simplified coupled atmosphere‐ocean model. It is shown that moderate phytoplankton blooms, occuring e.g. during La Niña conditions, lead to a vertical redistribution of heat in the surface layers and an associated surface layer warming of about 20 W/m 2 . The positive air‐sea coupling in the eastern equatorial Pacific plays an important role in amplyfying this signal, thereby damping La Niña conditions. This temperature‐regulating feedback acts as a biological thermostat within the surface ocean and influences also the amplitude and asymmetry of the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation.