Events of decadal thermocline variations in the South Pacific Ocean

Abstract

The SODA data generated from a numerical model with data assimilation are used to study the decadal thermal anomalies in the thermocline of the South Pacific. Three notable events of decadal thermoclinc variations are found. First, two major warm subduction events originated from outcrop regions centered at 30°S, 150°W in the South Pacific Ocean occurred between 1960s and 1980s propagating toward the western Tropics and at 30°S, 90°W in the late 1970s propagating directly toward the eastern Tropics. Second, a special westward warm event originating from the eastern boundary around 15°S occurred in the early 1980s. Thirdly, a distinct zonal location transition of the positive temperature anomalies near 10°S took place in the late 1970s. The results suggest that the warm events in the subtropical South Pacific region are important to the decadal variability of the western tropical Pacific before the late 1970s and to the eastern tropical Pacific after the late 1970s.