Recovery of Tropical Cyclone Induced SST Cooling Observed by Satellite in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean

• Main Authors: Zheng Ling, Zhifeng Chen, Guihua Wang, Hailun He, Changlin Chen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Series: Remote Sensing
• Subjects: sea surface temperature; tropical cyclones; mixed layer depth; thermocline temperature gradient
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/18/3781
• ISSN: 2072-4292

Based on the satellite observed sea surface temperature (SST), the recovery of SST cooling induced by the tropical cyclones (TCs) over the northwestern Pacific Ocean is investigated. The results show that the passage of a TC induces a mean maximum cooling in the SST of roughly −1.25 °C. It was also found that most of this cooling (~87%) is typically erased within 30 days of TC passage. This recovery time depends upon the degree of cooling, with stronger (weaker) SST cooling corresponding to longer (shorter) recovery time. Further analyses show that the mixed layer depth (MLD) and the upper layer thermocline temperature gradient (UTTG) also play an important role in the SST response to TCs. The maximum cooling increases ~0.1 °C for every 7 m decrease in the MLD or every 0.04 °C/m increase in the UTTG. The combined effects of MLD and TC intensity and translation speed on the SST response are also discussed.