Seasonal cycle of sea level and currents along the coast of India

Abstract

A framework involving long baroclinic waves, which treats the north Indian Ocean as a single dynamical entity, has been remarkably successful in simulating the low-frequency, large-scale circulation in the ocean. It is, however, unable to simulate the observed seasonal cycle of sea level along the Indian coast. The reason appears to be the absence of salinity variation in the models. The large inflow of freshwater into the seas around India forces large changes in salinity, and hence, in coastal sea level.