dc.contributor.author | Vinayachandran, P.N. | |
dc.contributor.author | Murty, V.S.N. | |
dc.contributor.author | RameshBabu, V. | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2008-08-04T05:40:09Z | |
dc.date.available | 2008-08-04T05:40:09Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2002 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Journal of Geophysical Research (C: Oceans): Vol. 107(12); doi:10.1029/2001JC000831 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://drs.nio.org/drs/handle/2264/1362 | |
dc.description.abstract | Time series of temperature and salinity in the upper ocean, measured at 17 degrees 30'N, 89 degrees E in the northern Bay of Bengal, from 27 July to 6 August 1999 captured an event of upper layer freshening. Initially, the upper layer that is homogeneous in both temperature and salinity was about 30 m deep. Subsequently, the arrival of a freshwater plume caused the depth of the mixed layer to decrease to about 10 m and the salinity in the surface layer by about 4 psu. The plume led to the formation of a new halocline and hence a barrier layer within the upper 30 m of the water column. The ensuing ocean-atmosphere interaction was restricted to the new thinner mixed layer. The cooling that was restricted to the mixed layer led to an inversion in temperature amounting to 0.5 degrees C just below the mixed layer. The source of the plume is traced to freshwater from river discharge and rainfall that was advected by Ekman flow as a 15 m thick layer. This study suggests that wind-driven circulation is crucial in determining the path of freshwater in the Bay of Bengal. The fresh water affects the sea surface temperature and ocean- atmosphere coupling through the dependence of the depth of the mixed layer on salinity. | |
dc.language.iso | en | |
dc.publisher | American Geophysical Union | |
dc.subject | upper ocean | |
dc.subject | hydrography | |
dc.subject | mixed layer | |
dc.subject | monsoons | |
dc.subject | plumes | |
dc.subject | Ekman transport | |
dc.subject | wind driven circulation | |
dc.subject | summer | |
dc.subject | water column | |
dc.subject | time series analysis | |
dc.title | Observations of barrier layer formation in the Bay of Bengal during summer monsoon | |
dc.type | Journal Article | |