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Previous theoretical studies suggest that the topography along the west coast of Australia plays an important role in strengthening and trapping the Leeuwin Current (LC) at the coast. To isolate and quantify the effect of the continental shelf and slope on the LC and Ningaloo Niño, high-resolution (1/12°) ocean general circulation model experiments with different bottom topographies are performed. The “control” experiment uses a realistic bottom topography along the west coast of Australia, whereas the sensitivity (“no-shelf”) experiment uses a modified topography with no continental shelf and slope near the coast. The mean and variability of LC are realistically simulated in the control experiment. Compared to the control experiment, the strength of LC in the no-shelf experiment decreased by about 28%. The continental shelf influences the development of the 2010/11 Ningaloo Niño through modulating the LC variability: in August–October 2010 and January–February 2011, the LC in the control experiment is enhanced much more than that in the no-shelf experiment. As a result, the upper-50-m ocean temperature in the control experiment is about 26% warmer than the no-shelf experiment from September 2010 to March 2011. Different evolution of SST warming is also found in the two experiments. Comparisons of oceanic processes in the two experiments show that the shelf-slope topography can effectively trap the positive sea level anomaly at the coast in the control experiment while more Rossby waves radiate from the coast in the no-shelf experiment, resulting in a weaker LC.

The Indian Ocean Observing System (IndOOS), established in 2006, is a multinational network of sustained oceanic measurements that underpin understanding and forecasting of weather and climate for the Indian Ocean region and beyond. Almost one-third of humanity lives around the Indian Ocean, many in countries dependent on fisheries and rain-fed agriculture that are vulnerable to climate variability and extremes. The Indian Ocean alone has absorbed a quarter of the global oceanic heat uptake over the last two decades and the fate of this heat and its impact on future change is unknown. Climate models project accelerating sea level rise, more frequent extremes in monsoon rainfall, and decreasing oceanic productivity. In view of these new scientific challenges, a 3-yr international review of the IndOOS by more than 60 scientific experts now highlights the need for an enhanced observing network that can better meet societal challenges, and provide more reliable forecasts. Here we present core findings from this review, including the need for 1) chemical, biological, and ecosystem measurements alongside physical parameters; 2) expansion into the western tropics to improve understanding of the monsoon circulation; 3) better-resolved upper ocean processes to improve understanding of air–sea coupling and yield better subseasonal to seasonal predictions; and 4) expansion into key coastal regions and the deep ocean to better constrain the basinwide energy budget. These goals will require new agreements and partnerships with and among Indian Ocean rim countries, creating opportunities for them to enhance their monitoring and forecasting capacity as part of IndOOS-2.

Statistical relationships between atmospheric rivers (ARs) and extratropical cyclones and anticyclones are investigated on a global scale using objectively identified ARs, cyclones, and anticyclones during 1979–2014. Composites of circulation and moisture fields around the ARs show that a strong cyclone is located poleward and westward of the AR centroid, which confirms the close link between the AR and extratropical cyclone. In addition, a pronounced anticyclone is found to be located equatorward and eastward of the AR, whose presence together with the cyclone leads to strong horizontal pressure gradient that forces moisture to be transported along a narrow corridor within the warm sector of the cyclone. This anticyclone located toward the downstream equatorward side of the cyclone is found to be missing for cyclones not associated with ARs. These key features are robust in composites performed in different hemispheres, over different ocean basins, and with respect to different AR intensities. Furthermore, correlation analysis shows that the AR intensity is much better correlated with the pressure gradient between the cyclone and anticyclone than with the cyclone/anticyclone intensity alone, although stronger cyclones favor the occurrence of AR. The importance of the horizontal pressure gradient in the formation of the AR is also consistent with the fact that climatologically ARs are frequently found over the region between the polar lows and subtropical highs in all seasons.

Previous work has demonstrated the strong ocean response to atmospheric rivers (ARs) in the northeast Pacific including coastal currents along the west coast of North America, because of strong surface winds associated with ARs. A recent study on the global distribution of ARs also suggests that the southeast Indian Ocean is one of the areas of relatively strong AR activity. This study investigates the influence of ARs on the Leeuwin Current system, which is one of the major boundary currents in the Indian Ocean. It is demonstrated that winds associated with typical ARs in the southeast Indian Ocean can generate strong poleward coastal currents and sea level rise along the west coast of Australia using a high-resolution ocean reanalysis (0.08° HYCOM). The composite of upper ocean currents and sea surface height (SSH) associated with landfalling ARs along the west coast of Australia is constructed using the HYCOM reanalysis, long-term AR data set, and tide gauge data. The enhancement of the poleward currents generated by ARs is found in the composite, and the magnitude of the enhancement is comparable to the strength of the Leeuwin Current itself. The results also indicate that the fluctuation of SSH and coastal currents along the west coast propagates along the southern coast all the way to the southeast coast (Pacific side) of Australia. The SSH propagation along the coasts is also detected in the tide gauge data in the west and southern coasts of Australia.

Generation and development mechanisms of the Ningaloo Niño are investigated using ocean and atmospheric general circulation model experiments. Consistent with previous studies, northerly wind anomalies off the West Australian coast are critical in generating warm sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies of the Ningaloo Niño, which induce SST warming through reduced turbulent heat loss toward the atmosphere (by decreasing surface wind speed), enhanced Leeuwin Current heat transport, and weakened coastal upwelling. Our results further reveal that northerly wind anomalies suppress the cold dry air transport from the Southern Ocean to the Ningaloo Niño region, which also contributes to the reduced turbulent heat loss. A positive cloud–radiation feedback is also found to play a role. Low stratiform cloud is reduced by the underlying warm SSTAs and the weakened air subsidence, which further enhances the SST warming by increasing downward solar radiation. The enhanced Indonesian Throughflow also contributes to the Ningaloo Niño, but only when La Niña co-occurs. Further analysis show that northerly wind anomalies along the West Australian coast can be generated by both remote forcing from the Pacific Ocean (i.e., La Niña) and internal processes of the Indian Ocean, such as the positive Indian Ocean dipole (IOD). Approximately 40% of the Ningaloo Niño events during 1950–2010 co-occurred with La Niña, and 30% co-occurred with positive IOD. There are also ~30% of the events independent of La Niña and positive IOD, suggesting the importance of other processes in triggering the Ningaloo Niño.

Six sets of hindcasts conducted with the NCEP GFS have been used to study the SST-feedback processes and assess the relative contributions of atmospheric internal dynamics and SST feedback on the October and November MJO events observed during the DYNAMO IOP (Oct- and Nov-MJO). The hindcasts are carried out with three variants of the Arakawa–Shubert cumulus scheme under TMI and climatological SST conditions. The positive intraseasonal SST anomaly along with its convergent Laplacian produces systematic surface disturbances, which include enhanced surface convergence, evaporation, and equivalent potential temperature no matter which cumulus scheme is used. Whether these surface disturbances can grow into a robust response of MJO convection depends on the characteristics of the cumulus schemes used. If the cumulus scheme is able to amplify the SST-initiated surface disturbances through a strong upward–downward feedback, the model is able to produce a robust MJO convection response to the underlying SST anomaly; otherwise, the model will not produce any significant SST feedback. A new method has been developed to quantify the “potential” and “practical” contributions of the atmospheric internal dynamics and SST feedback on the MJOs. The present results suggest that, potentially, the SST feedback could have larger contributions than the atmospheric internal dynamics. Practically, the contributions to the Oct- and Nov-MJO events are, respectively, dominated by atmospheric internal dynamics and SST feedback. Averaged over the entire period, the contributions from the atmospheric internal dynamics and SST feedback are about half and half.

Intraseasonal variability (20–90 days) of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF), which is primarily forced by the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), is investigated using a high-resolution global ocean reanalysis and satellite altimeter data. Previous studies show that during the MJO active phase, downwelling Kelvin waves generated in the central equatorial Indian Ocean propagate along the coast of Sumatra and Java islands, affecting the ITF transport at exit passages in the Indonesian Seas and Makassar Strait. However, the intraseasonal variation of the ITF transport through these straits over the MJO life cycle, especially during the suppressed phase, has not been quantified. To quantify the ITF transport associated with the MJO, composites of ITF transport through major straits in the Indonesian Seas are constructed using a 0.08° global HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) reanalysis. A prominent reduction of ITF transport through major straits is found during the MJO active phase, and a transport enhancement comparable to the reduction is evident during the suppressed phase. As a result, the net effect of the MJO on the mean ITF transport is very small due to the cancellation of the enhancement and reduction. The magnitude of the MJO-associated ITF transport variation through all ITF exit passages is about 6 Sv, which is about 50% of the total transport. While the propagation of coastal Kelvin waves during the MJO active phase and their impact on ITF transport is clearly evident in the composite, such Kelvin wave influence on ITF transport is not clearly detected during the suppressed phase. This suggests that anomalous winds over the Maritime Continent (MC) area are mostly responsible for the ITF variation during the suppressed phase in many MJO events. Yet, during some MJO events, remotely-forced upwelling Kelvin waves and their significant impact on the ITF transport are evident during the MJO suppressed phase.

The boreal-summer MJOs exhibit three distinctive downstream evolutions on their passages over the Maritime Continent (MC): (i) smoothly transitioning from Indian Ocean (IO) to western Pacific (type-I); (ii) rapidly decayed over the MC (type-II); and (iii) significantly intensified over the MC (type-III). During the life cycles of type-I and -III MJOs, basin-wide overturning circulations connect the convective dipoles between western and eastern north Pacific. For type-II MJO, regional overturning circulations connect the convective dipoles between the IO and Western North Pacific (WNP). For type-I and -III MJOs, the associated convection over eastern IO is able to generate strong Kevin-wave responses and significant positive SST anomalies over the MC and western Pacific. On the other hand, for type-II MJO in the IO, a persistent convection lingers around the WNP. It intensifies westerly monsoon flows, thus preventing the generation of coherent positive SST anomalies ahead of the IO MJO convection. It also blocks the formation of a robust Kelvin-wave response over the MC and western Pacific by delaying the northeastward migrations of the dry phase. The convection of type-I and -III MJOs at eastern IO is able to generate positive boundary-layer moisture anomalies along with positive column-integrated moisture tendencies over the MC and western Pacific, thus allowing them to propagate eastward smoothly. On the other hand, the type-II MJO convection in eastern IO is associated with a very dry troposphere and negative column-integrated moisture tendency over western Pacific, which result in the rapid decay of convection over the MC. These results emphasize the important roles of robust Kelvin-wave responses and positive SST anomalies on the eastward propagation of boreal-summer MJOs over the MC through moistening the troposphere ahead of the convection.

This study investigates the intraseasonal variations of the Northern Hemispheric storm track associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) during the extended boreal winter (November–April) using 36 yr (1979–2014) of reanalysis data from ERA-Interim. Two methods have been used to diagnose storm-track variations. In the first method, the storm track is quantified by the temporal-filtered variance of 250-hPa meridional wind (vv250) or mean sea level pressure (pp). The intraseasonal anomalies of vv250 composited for eight MJO phases are characterized by a zonal band of strong positive (or negative) anomalies meandering from the Pacific all the way across North America and the Atlantic into northern Europe, with weaker anomalies of opposite sign at one or both flanks. The results based on pp are consistent with those based on vv250 except for larger zonal variations, which may be induced by surface topography. In the second method, an objective cyclone-tracking scheme has been used to track the extratropical cyclones that compose the storm track. The MJO-composite anomalies of the “accumulated” cyclone activity, a quantity that includes contributions from both the cyclone frequency and cyclone mean intensity, are very similar to those based on pp. Further analysis demonstrates that major contribution comes from variations in the cyclone frequency. Further analysis suggests that the intraseasonal variations of the storm track can be primarily attributed to the variations of the mean flow that responds to the anomalous MJO convections in the tropics, with possible contribution also from the moisture variations.

The Indian summer monsoon intraseasonal oscillations (MISOs) induce pronounced intraseasonal sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the Bay of Bengal (BoB), which has important feedbacks to atmospheric convection. An ocean general circulation model (OGCM) is employed to investigate the upper-ocean processes affecting intraseasonal SST variability and its feedback to the MISO convection. In the BoB, the MISO induces intraseasonal SST variability predominantly through surface heat flux forcing with comparable contributions from shortwave radiation and turbulent heat flux, and to a much smaller extent through wind-driven ocean mixed layer entrainment. The ocean salinity stratification, represented by mixed layer depth (MLD) and barrier layer thickness (BLT), has a strong control on SST but weak impact on convection of the MISO. The MLD is critical for the amplitude of SST response to various forcing processes, while the BLT mainly affects entrainment by determining the temperature difference between the mixed layer and the water below. From May to mid-June, the shallow MLD and thin barrier layer greatly enhance intraseasonal SST anomalies, which can amplify convection fluctuations of the MISO through air-sea interaction and leads to intense but short-duration postconvection break spells. When either the MLD or the BLT is large, intraseasonal SSTs tend to be weak. Further investigation reveals that freshwater flux of the monsoon gives rise to the shallow MLD and thick barrier layer, and its overall effect on intraseasonal SSTs is a 20% enhancement. These results provide implications for improving the simulation and forecast of the MISO in climate models.

Previous studies indicate that equatorial zonal winds in the Indian Ocean can significantly influence the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). During the Cooperative Indian Ocean Experiment on Intraseasonal Variability (CINDY)/Dynamics of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (DYNAMO) field campaign, two strong MJO events were observed within a month without a clear suppressed phase between them, and these events generated exceptionally strong ocean responses. Strong eastward currents along the equator in the Indian Ocean lasted more than one month from late November 2011 to early January 2012. The influence of these unique MJO events during the field campaign on ITF variability is investigated using a high-resolution (1/25°) global ocean general circulation model, the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). The strong westerlies associated with these MJO events, which exceed 10 m s−1, generate strong equatorial eastward jets and downwelling near the eastern boundary. The equatorial jets are realistically simulated by the global HYCOM based on the comparison with the data collected during the field campaign. The analysis demonstrates that sea surface height (SSH) and alongshore velocity anomalies at the eastern boundary propagate along the coast of Sumatra and Java as coastal Kelvin waves, significantly reducing the ITF transport at the Makassar Strait during January–early February. The alongshore velocity anomalies associated with the Kelvin wave significantly leads SSH anomalies. The magnitude of the anomalous currents at the Makassar Strait is exceptionally large because of the unique feature of the MJO events, and thus the typical seasonal cycle of ITF could be significantly altered by strong MJO events such as those observed during the CINDY/DYNAMO field campaign.

By analyzing satellite observations and conducting a series of ocean general circulation model experiments, this study examines the physical processes that determine intraseasonal variability (ISV) of the equatorial eastern Indian Ocean (EIO) upwelling for the 2001–2011 period. The ISV of EIO upwelling—as indicated by sea level, thermocline depth, and sea surface temperature (SST)—is predominantly forced by atmospheric intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs), and shows larger amplitudes during winter-spring season (November–April) when atmospheric ISOs are stronger than summer-fall (May–October). The chlorophyll (Chl-a) concentration, another indicator of upwelling, however reveals its largest intraseasonal variability during May–October, when the mean thermocline is shallow and seasonal upwelling occurs. For both winter-spring and summer-fall seasons, the ISV of EIO sea level and thermocline depth is dominated by remote forcing from the equatorial Indian Ocean wind stress, which drives Kelvin waves that propagate along the equator and subsequently along the Sumatra-Java coasts. Local wind forcing within the EIO plays a secondary role. The ISV of SST, however, is dominated by upwelling induced by remote equatorial wind only during summer-fall, with less contribution from surface heat fluxes for this season. During winter-spring, the ISV of SST results primarily from shortwave radiation and turbulent heat flux induced by wind speed associated with the ISOs, and local forcing dominates the SST variability. In this season, the mean thermocline is deep in the warm pool and thus thermocline variability decouples from the ISV of SST. Only in summer-fall when the mean thermocline is shallow, upwelling has important impact on SST.

The diurnal variability and the environmental conditions that support the moisture resurgence of MJO events observed during the Cooperative Indian Ocean Experiment on Intraseasonal Variability (CINDY)/DYNAMO campaign in October–December 2011 are investigated using in situ observations and the cloud-resolving fully air–ocean–wave Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS). Spectral density and wavelet analysis of the total precipitable water (TPW) constructed from the DYNAMO soundings and TRMM satellite precipitation reveal a deep layer of vapor resurgence during the observed Wheeler and Hendon real-time multivariate MJO index phases 5–8 (MJO suppressed phase), which include diurnal, quasi-2-, quasi-3–4-, quasi-6–8-, and quasi-16-day oscillations. A similar oscillatory pattern is found in the DYNAMO moorings sea surface temperature analysis, suggesting a tightly coupled atmosphere and ocean system during these periods. COAMPS hindcast focused on the 12–16 November 2011 event suggests that both the diurnal sea surface temperature (SST) pumping and horizontal and vertical moisture transport associated with the westward propagating mixed Rossby–Gravity (MRG) waves play an essential role in the moisture resurgence during this period. Idealized COAMPS simulations of MRG waves are used to estimate the MRG and diurnal SST contributions to the overall moisture increase. These idealized MRG sensitivity experiments showed the TPW increase varies from 9% to 13% with the largest changes occurring in the simulations that included a diurnal SST variation of 2.5°C as observed.

The hypothesis of convective quasi-equilibrium (CQE) has dominated thinking about the interaction between deep moist convection and the environment for at least two decades. In this view, deep convection develops or decays almost instantly to remove any changes of convective instability, making the tropospheric temperature always tied to the boundary layer moist static energy. The present study examines the validity of the CQE hypothesis at different vertical levels using long-term sounding data from tropical convection centers. The results show that the tropical atmosphere is far from the CQE with much weaker warming in the middle and upper troposphere associated with the increase of boundary layer moist static energy. This is true for all the time scales resolved by the observational data, ranging from hourly to interannual and decadal variability. It is possibly caused by the ubiquitous existence of shallow convection and stratiform precipitation, both leading to sign reversal of heating from lower to upper troposphere. The simulations by 42 global climate models from phases 3 and 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparsion Project (CMIP3 and CMIP5) are also analyzed and compared with the observations.

Intraseasonal sea surface temperature (SST) variability over the Seychelles–Chagos thermocline ridge (SCTR; 12°–4°S, 55°–85°E) induced by boreal wintertime Madden–Julian oscillations (MJOs) is investigated with a series of OGCM experiments forced by the best available atmospheric data. The impact of the ocean interannual variation (OIV), for example, the thermocline depth changes in the SCTR, is assessed. The results show that surface shortwave radiation (SWR), wind speed–controlled turbulent heat fluxes, and wind stress–driven ocean processes are all important in causing the MJO-related intraseasonal SST variability. The effect of the OIV is significant in the eastern part of the SCTR (70°–85°E), where the intraseasonal SSTs are strengthened by about 20% during the 2001–11 period. In the western part (55°–70°E), such effect is relatively small and not significant. The relative importance of the three dominant forcing factors is adjusted by the OIV, with increased (decreased) contribution from wind stress (wind speed and SWR). The OIV also tends to intensify the year-to-year variability of the intraseasonal SST amplitude. In general, a stronger (weaker) SCTR favors larger (smaller) SST responses to the MJO forcing. Because of the nonlinearity of the upper-ocean thermal stratification, especially the mixed layer depth (MLD), the OIV imposes an asymmetric impact on the intraseasonal SSTs between the strong and weak SCTR conditions. In the eastern SCTR, both the heat flux forcing and entrainment are greatly amplified under the strong SCTR condition, but only slightly suppressed under the weak SCTR condition, leading to an overall strengthening effect by the OIV.

This study examines the stratocumulus clouds and associated cloud feedback in the southeast Pacific (SEP) simulated by eight global climate models participating in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) and Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) using long-term observations of clouds, radiative fluxes, cloud radiative forcing (CRF), sea surface temperature (SST), and large-scale atmosphere environment. The results show that the state-of-the-art global climate models still have significant difficulty in simulating the SEP stratocumulus clouds and associated cloud feedback. Comparing with observations, the models tend to simulate significantly less cloud cover, higher cloud top, and a variety of unrealistic cloud albedo. The insufficient cloud cover leads to overly weak shortwave CRF and net CRF. Only two of the eight models capture the observed positive cloud feedback at subannual to decadal time scales. The cloud and radiation biases in the models are associated with 1) model biases in large-scale temperature structure including the lack of temperature inversion, insufficient lower troposphere stability (LTS), and insufficient reduction of LTS with local SST warming, and 2) improper model physics, especially insufficient increase of low cloud cover associated with larger LTS. The two models that arguably do best at simulating the stratocumulus clouds and associated cloud feedback are the only ones using cloud-top radiative cooling to drive boundary layer turbulence.

[1] The effects of solar radiation diurnal cycle on intraseasonal mixed layer variability in the tropical Indian Ocean during boreal wintertime Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) events are examined using the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model. Two parallel experiments, the main run and the experimental run, are performed for the period of 2005–2011 with daily atmospheric forcing except that an idealized hourly shortwave radiation diurnal cycle is included in the main run. The results show that the diurnal cycle of solar radiation generally warms the Indian Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) north of 10 � S, particularly during the calm phase of the MJO when sea surface wind is weak, mixed layer is thin, and the SST diurnal cycle amplitude (dSST) is large. The diurnal cycle enhances the MJO-forced intraseasonal SST variability by about 20% in key regions like the Seychelles-Chagos Thermocline Ridge (SCTR; 55 � –70 � E, 12 � –4 � S) and the central equatorial Indian Ocean (CEIO; 65 � –95 � E, 3 � S–3 � N) primarily through nonlinear rectification. The model also well reproduced the upper-ocean variations monitored by the CINDY/DYNAMO field campaign between September-November 2011. During this period, dSST reaches 0.7 � C in the CEIO region, and intraseasonal SST variability is significantly amplified. In the SCTR region where mean easterly winds are strong during this period, diurnal SST variation and its impact on intraseasonal ocean variability are much weaker. In both regions, the diurnal cycle also has a large impact on the upward surface turbulent heat flux QT and induces diurnal variation of QT with a peak-to-peak difference of O(10 W m � 2 ).

This study evaluates the simulation of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and convectively coupled equatorial waves (CCEWs) in 20 models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) phase 5 (CMIP5) in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) and compares the results with the simulation of CMIP phase 3 (CMIP3) models in the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). The results show that the CMIP5 models exhibit an overall improvement over the CMIP3 models in the simulation of tropical intraseasonal variability, especially the MJO and several CCEWs. The CMIP5 models generally produce larger total intraseasonal (2–128 day) variance of precipitation than the CMIP3 models, as well as larger variances of Kelvin, equatorial Rossby (ER), and eastward inertio-gravity (EIG) waves. Nearly all models have signals of the CCEWs, with Kelvin and mixed Rossby–gravity (MRG) and EIG waves being especially prominent. The phase speeds, as scaled to equivalent depths, are close to the observed value in 10 of the 20 models, suggesting that these models produce sufficient reduction in their effective static stability by diabatic heating. The CMIP5 models generally produce larger MJO variance than the CMIP3 models, as well as a more realistic ratio between the variance of the eastward MJO and that of its westward counterpart. About one-third of the CMIP5 models generate the spectral peak of MJO precipitation between 30 and 70 days; however, the model MJO period tends to be longer than observations as part of an overreddened spectrum, which in turn is associated with too strong persistence of equatorial precipitation. Only one of the 20 models is able to simulate a realistic eastward propagation of the MJO.

Simulation of surface wind and upper-ocean variability associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) by a regional coupled model, the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS), is evaluated by the comparison with in situ and satellite observations. COAMPS is configured for the tropical Indian Ocean domain with the horizontal resolution of 27 km for the atmospheric component and ⅛° for the ocean component. A high-resolution nested grid (9 km) for the atmospheric component is used for the central Indian Ocean. While observational data are assimilated into the atmospheric component, no data are assimilated into the ocean component. The model was integrated during 1 March–30 April 2009 when an active episode of large-scale convection associated with the MJO passed eastward across the Indian Ocean. During this MJO event, strong surface westerly winds (~8 m s−1) were observed in the central equatorial Indian Ocean, and they generated a strong eastward jet (~1 m s−1) on the equator. COAMPS can realistically simulate these surface wind and upper-ocean variations. The sensitivity of upper-ocean variability to the atmospheric model resolution is examined by the COAMPS experiment without the high-resolution nested grid. The equatorial jet generated in this experiment is about 20% weaker than that in the first experiment, which significantly influences upper-ocean salinity and temperature. The large diurnal warming of SST during the suppressed phase of the MJO is also adequately simulated by the model. Weak winds during this period are mostly responsible for the large SST diurnal variation based on the comparison with the spatial variation of surface forcing fields.

During the CINDY/DYNAMO field campaign (fall/winter 2011), intensive measurements of the upper ocean, including an array of several surface moorings and ship observations for the area around 75°E–80°E, Equator-10°S, were conducted. In this study, large-scale upper ocean variations surrounding the intensive array during the field campaign are described based on the analysis of satellite-derived data. Surface currents, sea surface height (SSH), sea surface salinity (SSS), surface winds and sea surface temperature (SST) during the CINDY/DYNAMO field campaign derived from satellite observations are analyzed. During the intensive observation period, three active episodes of large-scale convection associated with the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) propagated eastward across the tropical Indian Ocean. Surface westerly winds near the equator were particularly strong during the events in late November and late December, exceeding 10 m/s. These westerlies generated strong eastward jets (&gt, 1 m/s) on the equator. Significant remote ocean responses to the equatorial westerlies were observed in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres in the central and eastern Indian Oceans. The anomalous SSH associated with strong eastward jets propagated eastward as an equatorial Kelvin wave and generated intense downwelling near the eastern boundary. The anomalous positive SSH then partly propagated westward around 4°S as a reflected equatorial Rossby wave, and it significantly influenced the upper ocean structure in the Seychelles-Chagos thermocline ridge about two months after the last MJO event during the field campaign. For the first time, it is demonstrated that subseasonal SSS variations in the central Indian Ocean can be monitored by Aquarius measurements based on the comparison with in situ observations at three locations. Subseasonal SSS variability in the central Indian Ocean observed by RAMA buoys is explained by large-scale water exchanges between the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal through the zonal current variation near the equator.

The seasonal variation of Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) transport is investigated using ocean general circulation model experiments with the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Twenty-eight years (1981–2008) of ⅓° Indo-Pacific basin HYCOM simulations and three years (2004–06) from a global HYCOM simulation are analyzed. Both models are able to simulate the seasonal variation of upper-ocean currents and the total transport through Makassar Strait measured by International Nusantara Stratification and Transport (INSTANT) moorings reasonably well. The annual cycle of upper-ocean currents is then calculated from the Indo-Pacific HYCOM simulation. The reduction of southward currents at Makassar Strait during April–May and October–November is evident, consistent with the INSTANT observations. Analysis of the upper-ocean currents suggests that the reduction in ITF transport during April–May and October–November results from the wind variation in the tropical Indian Ocean through the generation of a Wyrtki jet and the propagation of coastal Kelvin waves, while the subsequent recovery during January–March originates from upper-ocean variability associated with annual Rossby waves in the Pacific that are enhanced by western Pacific winds. These processes are also found in the global HYCOM simulation during the period of the INSTANT observations. The model experiments forced with annual-mean climatological wind stress in the Pacific and 3-day mean wind stress in the Indian Ocean show the reduction of southward currents at Makassar Strait during October–November but no subsequent recovery during January–March, confirming the relative importance of wind variations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans for the ITF transport in each season.

The structure and propagation of oceanic Yanai waves (also known as mixed Rossby–gravity waves) are investigated by analysis of satellite-derived sea-surface-height (SSH) data. Significant spectral peaks along the dispersion curves of first and second baroclinic mode Yanai waves are identified by the wavenumber–frequency spectral analysis of SSH for the period 10–17 days. The spatial structure and propagation of these modes are described by an analysis of SSH time series filtered in the frequency–wavenumber domain that includes strong signals along the dispersion curves but excludes those of 17-day tropical instability waves. The difference in meridional structure between the first and second baroclinic modes, which is consistent with theory, is evident. The slow eastward propagation of first and second baroclinic mode Yanai wave packets, which is consistent with the group velocity derived from theory, is also isolated from the SSH data. Year-to-year variability of Yanai wave activity is compared with that of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), showing a moderate correlation with ENSO Modoki. © Published in 2011 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

This study examines systematic biases in sea surface temperature (SST) under the stratus cloud deck in the southeast Pacific Ocean and upper-ocean processes relevant to the SST biases in 19 coupled general circulation models (CGCMs) participating in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). The 20 years of simulations from each model are analyzed. Pronounced warm SST biases in a large portion of the southeast Pacific stratus region are found in all models. Processes that could contribute to the SST biases are examined in detail based on the computation of major terms in the upper-ocean heat budget. Negative biases in net surface heat fluxes are evident in most of the models, suggesting that the cause of the warm SST biases in models is not explained by errors in net surface heat fluxes. Biases in heat transport by Ekman currents largely contribute to the warm SST biases both near the coast and the open ocean. In the coastal area, southwestward Ekman currents and upwelling in most models are much weaker than observed owing to weaker alongshore winds, resulting in insufficient advection of cold water from the coast. In the open ocean, warm advection due to Ekman currents is overestimated in models because of the larger meridional temperature gradient, the smaller zonal temperature gradient, and overly weaker Ekman currents.

Three ocean models, 1/25° global HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM), 1/12° global HYCOM, and EAS NCOM nested in global NCOM, were used to provide a global context for simulation of the circulation within the Philippine Archipelago as part of the Philippines Experiment (PhilEx). The Philippine Archipelago provides two significant secondary routes for both the Indonesian throughflow and the western boundary current of the Pacific northern tropical gyre. The deeper route enters the archipelago from the north through Mindoro Strait, after passing through Luzon Strait and the South China Sea. The second route enters directly from the Pacific via the shallow Surigao Strait and passes through Dipolog Strait downstream of the Bohol Sea. Both pathways exit via Sibutu Passage and the adjacent Sulu Archipelago along the southern edge of the Sulu Sea, and both are deeper than the pathway into the Indonesian Archipelago via Karimata Strait in the Java Sea. Within the Philippine Archipelago, these pathways make the dominant contribution to the mean circulation and much of its variability, while their outflow contributes to the flow through Makassar Strait, the primary conduit of the Indonesian throughflow, at all depths above the Sibutu Passage sill. Because of the narrow straits and small interior seas, the simulations are very sensitive to model resolution (4.4 km in 1/25° global HYCOM, 8.7 km in 1/12° global HYCOM, and 9.6 km in EAS NCOM in this latitude range) and to topographic errors, especially sill depths. The model simulations for 2004 and 2008 (the latter the central year of the PhilEx observational program) show extreme opposite anomalous years with anomalously strong southward Mindoro transport in 2004 and mean northward transport in 2008, but with little effect on the Surigao-Dipolog transport. Satellite altimetry verified the associated HYCOM sea surface height anomalies in the western tropical Pacific and the South China Sea during these extreme years. A 15-month (December 2007–March 2009) PhilEx mooring in Mindoro Strait measured velocity nearly top to bottom at a location close to the sill. The 1/12° global HYCOM, which showed the strongest flow above 200 m lay west of the mooring, was used to adjust a Mindoro transport estimate from the mooring data for cross-sectional distribution of the velocity, giving 0.24 Sv northward over the anomalous observational period. The results from the observational period were then used to adjust the 2004–2009 model transport, giving a mean of 0.95 Sv southward. The 1/25° global HYCOM simulated the observed four-layer flow in Dipolog Strait and the vigorous and persistent cyclonic gyre in the western Bohol Sea, observed during all four PhilEx cruises and in ocean color imagery. This gyre was poorly simulated by the two models with ~ 9 km resolution. Finally, a 1/12° global HYCOM simulation with tides generated the hydrostatic aspect of the internal tides within the Philippine Archipelago, including a strong internal tidal beam initiated at Sibutu Passage and observed crossing the Sulu Sea.

Sea-level rise is not globally uniform. A combination of observations and climate-model simulations reveals a pattern of sea-level changes in the Indian Ocean, with a decrease in the southern tropical Indian Ocean and a rise elsewhere, that can be attributed to changes in the atmospheric overturning circulation. Global sea level has risen during the past decades as a result of thermal expansion of the warming ocean and freshwater addition from melting continental ice1. However, sea-level rise is not globally uniform1,2,3,4,5. Regional sea levels can be affected by changes in atmospheric or oceanic circulation. As long-term observational records are scarce, regional changes in sea level in the Indian Ocean are poorly constrained. Yet estimates of future sea-level changes are essential for effective risk assessment2. Here we combine in situ and satellite observations of Indian Ocean sea level with climate-model simulations, to identify a distinct spatial pattern of sea-level rise since the 1960s. We find that sea level has decreased substantially in the south tropical Indian Ocean whereas it has increased elsewhere. This pattern is driven by changing surface winds associated with a combined invigoration of the Indian Ocean Hadley and Walker cells, patterns of atmospheric overturning circulation in the north–south and east–west direction, respectively, which is partly attributable to rising levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases. We conclude that—if ongoing anthropogenic warming dominates natural variability—the pattern we detected is likely to persist and to increase the environmental stress on some coasts and islands in the Indian Ocean.

This study evaluates the intraseasonal variation of winter precipitation over the western United States in 14 coupled general circulation models (GCMs) participating in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). Eight years of each model’s twentieth-century climate simulation are analyzed. The focus is on the two dominant intraseasonal modes for the western U.S. precipitation: the 40-day mode and the 22-day mode. The results show that the models tend to overestimate the northern winter (November–April) seasonal mean precipitation over the western United States and Canada. The models also tend to produce overly strong intraseasonal variability in western U.S. wintertime precipitation, in spite of the overly weak tropical intraseasonal variability in most of the models. All models capture both the 40-day mode and the 22-day mode, usually with overly large variances. For the 40-day mode, models tend to reproduce its deep barotropic vertical structure and three-cell horizontal structure, but only 5 of the 14 models capture its northward propagation, and only 2 models simulate its teleconnection with the Madden–Julian oscillation in the tropical Pacific. For the 22-day mode, 8 of the 14 models reproduce its coherent northward propagation, and 9 models capture its teleconnection with precipitation in the tropical Pacific.

The annual mean heat budget of the upper ocean beneath the stratocumulus/stratus cloud deck in the southeast Pacific is estimated using Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) and an eddy-resolving Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Both are compared with estimates based on Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Improved Meteorological (IMET) buoy observations at 20°S, 85°W. Net surface heat fluxes are positive (warming) over most of the area under the stratus cloud deck. Upper-ocean processes responsible for balancing the surface heat flux are examined by estimating each term in the heat equation. In contrast to surface heat fluxes, geostrophic transport in the upper 50 m causes net cooling in most of the stratus cloud deck region. Ekman transport provides net warming north of the IMET site and net cooling south of the IMET site. Although the eddy heat flux divergence term can be comparable to other terms at a particular location, such as the IMET mooring site, it is negligible for the entire stratus region when area averaged because it is not spatially coherent in the open ocean. Although cold-core eddies are often generated near the coast in the eddy-resolving model, they do not significantly impact the heat budget in the open ocean in the southeast Pacific.

Using sea surface height (SSH) data derived from recent satellite observations, we present the observed dispersion relationship of mixed Rossby Gravity (Yanai) waves in the Pacific Ocean. A wavenumber-frequency spectral analysis of SSH fields shows prominent spectral peaks along the dispersion curves of first and second baroclinic mode oceanic Yanai waves. Also, salient features of tropical instability waves (TIWs) with a period of ~17 days can be effectively isolated based on a cross-correlation analysis of sea surface temperature (SST) and SSH time series that are filtered in wavenumber-frequency domain. These statistical repre sentations of oceanic Yanai waves and TIWs are important for the evaluation of numerical model simulations of these waves and for improving our understanding of the physics of 17-day TIWs.

Persistent stratus/stratocumulus cloud decks in the southeast Pacific near the coasts of Peru and northern Chile play an important role in regional and global climate variability. Interannual variability of the upper ocean under stratus cloud decks in the southeast Pacific is investigated using ocean general circulation model (OGCM) experiments. The model was first forced with daily surface fluxes based on the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis and satellite-derived surface shortwave and longwave radiation for the period of 1979–2004. Gridded surface heat flux estimates used in the model integration agree well with those based on Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Improved Meteorology (IMET) buoy measurements at 20°S, 85°W. Also, the OGCM is able to reproduce well the observed interannual SST and sea surface height variations in this region. The results suggest that the interannual variation of the upper ocean north of 20°S is mostly associated with ENSO variability. Additional model experiments were conducted to examine the relative importance of ocean dynamics and surface heat fluxes in determining the interannual variation in SST. The results of these experiments indicate that upper-ocean dynamics play a dominant role in controlling the interannual variation of SST north of 20°S in the stratus cloud region. The upper-ocean heat budget analysis shows that meridional heat advection associated with ENSO events primarily controls the interannual SST variation in the stratus cloud region north of 20°S.

This study evaluates the intraseasonal variability associated with summer precipitation over South America in 14 coupled general circulation models (GCMs) participating in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). Eight years of each model’s twentieth-century climate simulation are analyzed. Two dominant intraseasonal bands associated with summer precipitation over South America are focused on: the 40- and the 22-day band. The results show that in the southern summer (November–April), most of the models underestimate seasonal mean precipitation over central-east Brazil, northeast Brazil, and the South Atlantic convergence zone (SACZ), while the Atlantic intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is shifted southward of its observed position. Most of the models capture both the 40- and 22-day band around Uruguay, but with less frequent active episodes than observed. The models also tend to underestimate the total intraseasonal (10–90 day), the 40-, and the 22-day band variances. For the 40-day band, 10 of the 14 models simulate to some extent the 3-cell pattern around South America, and 6 models reproduce its teleconnection with precipitation in the south-central Pacific, but only 1 model simulates the teleconnection with the MJO in the equatorial Pacific, and only 3 models capture its northward propagation from 50° to 32°S. For the 7 models with three-dimensional data available, only 1 model reproduces well the deep baroclinic vertical structure of the 40-day band. For the 22-day band, only 6 of the 14 models capture its northward propagation from the SACZ to the Atlantic ITCZ. It is found that models with some form of moisture convective trigger tend to produce large variances for the intraseasonal bands.

Sea surface height (SSH), sea surface temperature (SST), and surface currents derived from satellite observations are analyzed to investigate signals of equatorial Kelvin and tropical instability waves (TIWs) in the Pacific Ocean. A wavenumber–frequency spectral analysis of SSH and SST anomalies was performed in order to examine their space and time variability. Significant spectral peaks along the dispersion curves of the first baroclinic mode Rossby and Kelvin waves are found in the SSH spectrum, indicating that the analysis can effectively identify the signals of equatorial waves in the upper ocean. A prominent peak in SSH fields at around 33 days and 1500 km wavelength along the Rossby wave dispersion curve is evident, and a similar peak is also found in SST fields. This upper ocean variability on these space and time scales is shown to be associated with TIWs. The spatial structure of 33-day TIWs is further examined based on an analysis of time series filtered in the frequency-wavenumber domain. The phase relationship between SSH, SST, and surface velocity associated with TIWs is described based on a cross-correlation analysis. Also, the interannual variability of TIW activity is compared with that of ENSO, showing a moderate correlation.

Previous observational work has demonstrated that the phase speed of oceanic equatorial Kelvin waves forced by the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) appears to vary substantially. Processes that are responsible for systematic changes in the phase speed of these waves are examined using an ocean general circulation model. The model was integrated for 26 yr with daily wind stress derived from the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis. The model is able to reproduce observed systematic changes of Kelvin wave phase speed reasonably well, providing a tool for the analysis of their dynamics. The relative importance of the upper ocean background state and atmospheric forcing for phase speed changes is determined based on a series of model experiments with various surface forcings. Systematic changes in phase speed are evident in all model experiments that have different slowly varying basic states, showing that variations of the upper ocean background state are not the primary cause of the changes. The model experiments that include and exclude intraseasonal components of wind stress in the eastern Pacific demonstrate that wind stress changes to the east of the date line can significantly alter the speed of Kelvin waves initially generated over the western Pacific, which often results in a phase propagation faster than the free wave speed. These faster waves contribute to the systematic changes of phase speed evident in observations. Similar results are also obtained using a linear stratified model, eliminating nonlinearity as a possible cause of the phase speed changes.

Effects of atmospheric intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs) on the Indian Ocean zonal dipole mode (IOZDM) are investigated by analyzing available observations and a suite of solutions to an ocean general circulation model, namely, the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Data and model solutions for the period 1991–2000 are analyzed, a period that includes two strong IOZDM events, during 1994 and 1997, and a weak one, in 1991. Both the data analysis and model results suggest that atmospheric ISOs play a significant role in causing irregularity of the two strong IOZDM events and the premature termination of the weak one. Of particular interest is a basinwide, wind-driven oceanic resonance with a period near 90 days, involving the propagation of equatorial Kelvin and first-meridional-mode Rossby waves across the basin. Before the onset of the strong 1997 dipole, wind variability had significant power near 90 days, and the resonance was strongly excited. Associated with the resonance was a deepened thermocline in the eastern basin during August and early September, which reduced the upwelling in the eastern antinode region of the IOZDM, thereby delaying the reversal of the equatorial zonal SST gradient—an important indicator of a strong IOZDM—by over a month. A similar deepened thermocline in the eastern basin also contributed to the premature termination of the weak 1991 dipole. During the 1994 IOZDM, the winds had little power near 90 days, and the resonant mode was not prominent. The ISOs influenced the IOZDM through both surface fluxes and thermocline variability. They enhanced warming in the western antinode region during October, the peak phase of the IOZDM, intensifying its strength. During November, strong winds significantly cooled the western and central basin through upwelling and surface fluxes, cooling SST there and contributing to the early and quick termination of the 1994 event.

The relationship between atmospheric subseasonal variability and interannual variation of SST over the tropical Indian Ocean is examined using winds and humidity from the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis, outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), and the monthly SST analysis. The primary focus is on whether and how the subseasonal variability is related to the zonal dipole structure of SST, which peaks during boreal fall. The level of subseasonal wind activity is measured by standard deviation of bandpass-filtered zonal wind fields on the 6–30- and 30–90-day time scales. During boreal fall (September–November), the interannual variation of 6–30-day (submonthly) near-surface zonal wind activity in the central and eastern equatorial Indian Ocean is highly correlated with the large-scale zonal SST gradient. The intensity of submonthly variability is largely reduced during positive dipole years. A significant reduction of intraseasonal (30–90-day) wind activity is also evident during large dipole events. However, the correlation with the zonal SST gradient is much weaker than that of submonthly variability. The mechanism by which the Indian Ocean dipole influences equatorial submonthly winds is investigated based on a cross-correlation analysis of OLR and winds. During negative dipole years, submonthly convection is active in the southeast Indian Ocean where the anomalous convergence of surface moisture associated with dipole events is at its maximum. The submonthly convection in this region is often associated with a cyclonic circulation, and these disturbances propagate westward. Consequently, equatorial westerlies and northwesterly winds near the coast of Sumatra are generated. During positive dipole years, submonthly convective activity is highly reduced in the southeast Indian Ocean, and thus no equatorial westerly is generated. Ocean response to submonthly disturbances is examined using OGCM experiments forced with winds from the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis. Results suggest that submonthly winds can generate significant upper-ocean response, including strong eastward surface currents near the equator and sea surface height anomalies along the coast of Sumatra where the large SST anomalies associated with dipole events are observed.

The mechanism by which the diurnal cycle of solar radiation modulates intraseasonal SST variability in the western Pacific warm pool is investigated using a one-dimensional mixed layer model. SSTs in the model experiments forced with hourly surface fluxes during the calm–sunny phase of intraseasonal oscillation are significantly warmer than those with daily mean surface fluxes. The difference in two experiments is explained by upper-ocean mixing processes during nighttime. Surface warming during daytime creates a shallow diurnal warm layer near the surface (0–3 m), which can be easily eroded by surface cooling during nighttime. Further cooling, however, requires a substantial amount of energy because deeper waters need to be entrained into the mixed layer. Since the shallow diurnal layer is not formed in the experiment with daily mean surface fluxes, the SST for the hourly forcing case is warmer most of the time due to the diurnally varying solar radiation. Sensitivity of the intraseasonal SST variation to the penetrative component of solar radiation is examined, showing that the diurnal cycle plays an important role in the sensitivity. Solar radiation absorbed in the upper few meters significantly influences intraseasonal SST variations through changes in amplitude of diurnal SST variation.