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Mesoscale dynamics in the Arabian Sea and a focus on the Great Whirl life cycle: a numerical investigation using ROMS

Mesoscale dynamics in the Arabian Sea and a focus on the Great Whirl life cycle: a numerical investigation using ROMS
Mesoscale dynamics in the Arabian Sea and a focus on the Great Whirl life cycle: a numerical investigation using ROMS
The Great Whirl (GW) is a persistent anticyclonic mesoscale eddy that is observed seasonally in the Arabian Sea during a period embedding the 3 months of the southwest monsoon (June–July–August) at a quasi-steady location. Its dynamics remain unclear despite it being one of the largest coherent vortices in the world ocean. Realistic regional numerical experiments using ROMS are performed to investigate the life cycle of the GW, which is not well resolved by sparse available in situ measurements in the region. Using a set of sensitivity experiments and an accurate temporal characterization of the eddy properties (including position, radius, depth, and vorticity) we (i) confirm the role of basin-scale downwelling Rossby waves in the GW generation, (ii) clarify the role of the monsoonal strong anticyclonic wind in its maintenance and barotropization, and (iii) suggest a connection between basin-scale Rossby wave dynamics and GW collapse.
Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Great Whirl, mesoscale dynamics, ROMS, Rossby waves
2169-9275
6422-6443
Vic, Clement
408e7f4a-468f-4139-90a6-3a95228ad758
Roullet, G.
12977456-4652-46bc-8d39-1e93f45c666d
Carton, X.
0d9a7d00-b23c-4b3b-b45a-430f29f58684
Capet, X.
3c8624e7-e770-414a-9ecc-c04db4eea706
Vic, Clement
408e7f4a-468f-4139-90a6-3a95228ad758
Roullet, G.
12977456-4652-46bc-8d39-1e93f45c666d
Carton, X.
0d9a7d00-b23c-4b3b-b45a-430f29f58684
Capet, X.
3c8624e7-e770-414a-9ecc-c04db4eea706

Vic, Clement, Roullet, G., Carton, X. and Capet, X. (2014) Mesoscale dynamics in the Arabian Sea and a focus on the Great Whirl life cycle: a numerical investigation using ROMS. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 119 (9), 6422-6443. (doi:10.1002/2014JC009857).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The Great Whirl (GW) is a persistent anticyclonic mesoscale eddy that is observed seasonally in the Arabian Sea during a period embedding the 3 months of the southwest monsoon (June–July–August) at a quasi-steady location. Its dynamics remain unclear despite it being one of the largest coherent vortices in the world ocean. Realistic regional numerical experiments using ROMS are performed to investigate the life cycle of the GW, which is not well resolved by sparse available in situ measurements in the region. Using a set of sensitivity experiments and an accurate temporal characterization of the eddy properties (including position, radius, depth, and vorticity) we (i) confirm the role of basin-scale downwelling Rossby waves in the GW generation, (ii) clarify the role of the monsoonal strong anticyclonic wind in its maintenance and barotropization, and (iii) suggest a connection between basin-scale Rossby wave dynamics and GW collapse.

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Accepted/In Press date: 10 September 2014
Published date: 22 September 2014
Keywords: Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Great Whirl, mesoscale dynamics, ROMS, Rossby waves
Organisations: Physical Oceanography

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 398064
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/398064
ISSN: 2169-9275
PURE UUID: a5ee3e18-c585-4cdd-b4ad-4c3f261eed70

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Date deposited: 13 Sep 2016 13:27
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 01:28

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Contributors

Author: Clement Vic
Author: G. Roullet
Author: X. Carton
Author: X. Capet

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