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Effects of sub‐seasonal variability on seasonal‐to‐interannual Indian Ocean meridional heat transport
Author(s) -
Halkides D. J.,
Han Weiqing,
Lee Tong,
Masumoto Yukio
Publication year - 2007
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 - 10.1029/2007gl030150
Subject(s) - zonal and meridional , equator , anomaly (physics) , climatology , atmospheric sciences , latitude , wind stress , meridional flow , environmental science , amplitude , subtropics , flux (metallurgy) , forcing (mathematics) , geology , physics , geodesy , chemistry , organic chemistry , condensed matter physics , quantum mechanics , fishery , biology
Numerical experiments using the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model are performed to examine atmospheric intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) effects on seasonal‐to‐interannual meridional heat transport (Q v ) in the tropical Indian Ocean. Analysis focuses on the equator and 14.5°S, latitudes associated with the cross‐equatorial and southern subtropical meridional cells. ISOs alter seasonal Q v anomaly (Q v *) at these latitudes by a‐few‐hundredths PW up to 2–3 tenths PW. On interannual timescales, heat transport anomaly (Q′ v ) induced by ISOs tends to reinforce (correlates positively with) the total Q′ v signal. ISO winds can induce interannual Q′ v up to 0.15 PW, comparable to the maximum amplitude of the Q′ v signal. Net effects of atmospheric ISOs can account for ∼30% of Q′ v in some years; in others, ISO contributions are insignificant. Wind stress (via momentum flux) and wind speed (via turbulent heat fluxes and vertical mixing) play notable roles in ISO effects on Q v * and in some years on Q′ v .