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Interannual variability of the spring Wyrtki Jet

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Abstract

Features of the interannual variability of the spring Wyrtki Jet in the tropical Indian Ocean are revealed using observation data and model output. The results show that the jet has significant interannual variation, which has a significant correlation with winter El Niño Modoki index ( R =0.62). During spring after an El Niño (La Niña) Modoki event, the Wyrtki Jet has a positive (negative) anomaly, forced by a westerly (easterly) wind anomaly. The result of a linear-continuously stratified model shows that the first two baroclinic modes explain most of the interannual variability of the spring Wyrtki Jet (~70%) and the third to fifth modes together account for approximately 30%. Surface wind anomalies in the tropical Indian Ocean are related to the Walker circulation anomaly associated with El Niño/La Niña Modoki. The interannual variability of the spring Wyrtki Jet has an evident impact on sea surface salinity transport before the onset phase of the summer monsoon in the Indian Ocean.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China

    Kangping Deng, Xuhua Cheng, Tao Feng, Tian Ma, Wei Duan & Jiajia Chen

  2. Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China

    Xuhua Cheng

  3. Key Laboratory of Coastal Disaster and Defense (Hohai University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing, 210098, China

    Xuhua Cheng

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  1. Kangping Deng
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Correspondence to Xuhua Cheng.

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Supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2018YFA0605702), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41876002, 41776002), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Nos. 2017B04714, 2017B04114)

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Deng, K., Cheng, X., Feng, T. et al. Interannual variability of the spring Wyrtki Jet. J. Ocean. Limnol. 39, 26–44 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-020-9330-3

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