Late 20th Century Indian Ocean Heat Content Gain Masked by Wind Forcing.

Ummenhofer, Caroline C. , Ryan, Svenja , England, Matthew H. , Scheinert, Markus , Wagner, Patrick , Biastoch, Arne and Böning, Claus W. (2020) Late 20th Century Indian Ocean Heat Content Gain Masked by Wind Forcing. Open Access Geophysical Research Letters, 47 (22). Art.Nr. e2020GL088692. DOI 10.1029/2020GL088692.

[thumbnail of 2020GL088692.pdf]
Preview
Text
2020GL088692.pdf - Published Version

Download (6MB) | Preview

Supplementary data:

Abstract

Rapid increases in upper 700‐m Indian Ocean heat content (IOHC) since the 2000s have focused attention on its role during the recent global surface warming hiatus. Here, we use ocean model simulations to assess distinct multidecadal IOHC variations since the 1960s and explore the relative contributions from wind stress and buoyancy forcing regionally and with depth. Multidecadal wind forcing counteracted IOHC increases due to buoyancy forcing from the 1960s to the 1990s. Wind and buoyancy forcing contribute positively since the mid‐2000s, accounting for the drastic IOHC change. Distinct timing and structure of upper ocean temperature changes in the eastern and western Indian Ocean are linked to the pathway how multidecadal wind forcing associated with the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation is transmitted and affects IOHC through local and remote winds. Progressive shoaling of the equatorial thermocline—of importance for low‐frequency variations in Indian Ocean Dipole occurrence—appears to be dominated by multidecadal variations in wind forcing.

Document Type: Article
Keywords: Indian Ocean; Pacific Ocean ; decadal variability; ocean heat content; hiatus; ocean models
Research affiliation: OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB1 Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics > FB1-OD Ocean Dynamics
Woods Hole
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: AGU (American Geophysical Union), Wiley
Related URLs:
Projects: Opendap
Date Deposited: 03 Nov 2020 09:18
Last Modified: 08 Feb 2023 09:33
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/50856

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item