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Phytoplankton Variability in the Bay of Bengal During Winter Monsoon Using Oceansat-1 Ocean Colour Monitor Data

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Abstract

Quantitative assessment of chlorophyll-a concentration and its variability is an important input for the oceanic primary productivity modeling and also a key parameter in the global carbon cycle studies. This present work is focused to understand the spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton in the Bay of Bengal (BOB) during winter monsoon season of October 1999 to March 2000 using Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM) sensor onboard OCEANSAT-1 satellite. Daily chlorophyll-a images from OCM sensor were used in the study. Efforts were also put to study the correlation between chlorophyll-a concentrations; NOAA-AVHRR derived Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and QuickSCAT scatterometer derived wind stress data. Analysis of the chlorophyll-a images shows the presence of extensive phytoplankton blooms during mid December 1999 to early January 2000 in the western part of BOB. The bloom dominated regions also exhibit reduced SST (∼24–27°C) and enhanced wind stress indicating upwelling processes leading nutrient entrainment in the upper column of the sea surface. Apart from this, higher phytoplankton biomass associated with the fresh water reverine plumes has also been observed. During October 1999 a super cyclone was active in the BOB, as increase in the productivity was observed in the early November 1999 images of OCM data due to the cyclone induced churning of the water column.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported under the OCEANSAT-2 utilization program and the analysis was carried out as a part of ISRO induction training program (IITP) of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The authors are thankful to Ajai, Group Director, MESG and J. S. Parihar, Deputy Director, Remote Sensing Applications Area, Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad for their encouragement. We are grateful to R. R. Navalgund, Director, Space Applications Centre, (ISRO), Ahmedabad for taking keen interest in this work. The authors would like to thank the PODAAC data archival center for providing the SST and Winds data used in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Applications Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad, 380 015, India

    P. V. Nagamani, Rajesh Shikhakolli & Prakash Chauhan

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  1. P. V. Nagamani
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  2. Rajesh Shikhakolli
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  3. Prakash Chauhan
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Correspondence to P. V. Nagamani.

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Nagamani, P.V., Shikhakolli, R. & Chauhan, P. Phytoplankton Variability in the Bay of Bengal During Winter Monsoon Using Oceansat-1 Ocean Colour Monitor Data. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 39, 117–126 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-010-0056-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-010-0056-0

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