Variability of Indian Ocean Surface Fluxes Using a New Objective Method

• Other Authors: Banks, Robert (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Oceanography; Atmospheric sciences; Meteorology
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-1050

A new objective technique is used to analyze monthly mean gridded fields of air and sea temperature, scalar and vector wind, specific humidity, sensible and latent heat flux, and wind stress over the Indian Ocean. A variational method produces a 1°x1° gridded product of surface turbulent fluxes and the variables needed to calculate these fluxes. The surface turbulent fluxes are forced to be physically consistent with the other variables. The variational method incorporates a state of the art flux model, which should reduce regional biases in heat and moisture fluxes. The time period is January 1982 to December 2003. The wind vectors are validated through comparison to monthly scatterometer winds. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analyses of the annual cycle emphasize significant modes of variability in the Indian Ocean. The dominant monsoon reversal and its connection with the southeast trades are linked in eigenmodes one and two of the surface fluxes. The third eigenmode of latent and sensible heat flux reveal a structure similar to the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) mode. The variability in surface fluxes associated with the monsoons and IOD are discussed. September-October-November composites of the surface fluxes during the 1997 positive IOD event and the 1983 negative IOD event are examined. The composites illustrate characteristics of fluxes during different IOD phases. === A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Meteorology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science. === Spring Semester, 2006. === November 30, 2005. === Indian Ocean Dipole Mode, Indian Ocean, Objective Method, Surface Turbulent Fluxes, Monsoon, Gridded Product === Includes bibliographical references. === Mark A. Bourassa, Professor Directing Thesis; Carol A. Clayson, Committee Member; James J. O’Brien, Committee Member.