The Galapagos Effect: Implications for the generation of the cold tongue and tropical instability waves.

Eden, Carsten and Timmermann, Axel (2004) The Galapagos Effect: Implications for the generation of the cold tongue and tropical instability waves. Open Access Geophysical Research Letters, 31 . L15308. DOI 10.1029/2004GL020060.

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Abstract

The Galápagos Islands provide a topographic barrier for the Southern Equatorial Current (SEC) and the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC). An island wake effect can be diagnosed from the difference of an ocean general circulation model simulation which includes the Galápagos Islands and one which ignores their presence. Cold thermocline water upwells on the western side of the islands, and only during boreal winter season these cold waters can linger around the Islands at a depth of about 80 m and affect the far eastern equatorial Pacific surface waters. This effect is partly offset by the westward transport of cold surface waters by the SEC which creates a wake on the western side of the Islands. It is furthermore shown that changes in horizontal current shear, induced by the presence of the Galápagos Islands modify the generation of tropical instability waves and lead to a basin scale SST anomaly pattern.

Document Type: Article
Keywords: The Galapagos Effect
Research affiliation: OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB1 Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics > FB1-TM Theory and Modeling
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: AGU (American Geophysical Union)
Projects: SFB460
Date Deposited: 26 Jan 2009 11:44
Last Modified: 21 Mar 2018 11:21
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/7891

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