How does the Indian Ocean subtropical dipole trigger the tropical Indian Ocean dipole via the Mascarene high？

The variation in the Indian Ocean is investigated using Hadley center sea surface temperature(SST)data during the period 1958–2010.All the first empirical orthogonal function(EOF)modes of the SST anomalies(SSTA)in different domains represent the basin-wide warming and are closely related to the Pacific El Ni o–Southern Oscillation(ENSO)phenomenon.Further examination suggests that the impact of ENSO on the tropical Indian Ocean is stronger than that on the southern Indian Ocean.The second EOF modes in different domains show different features.It shows a clear east-west SSTA dipole pattern in the tropical Indian Ocean(Indian Ocean dipole,IOD),and a southwest-northeast SSTA dipole in the southern Indian Ocean(Indian Ocean subtropical dipole,IOSD).It is further revealed that the IOSD is also the main structure of the second EOF mode on the whole basin-scale,in which the IOD pattern does not appear.A correlation analysis indicates that an IOSD event observed during the austral summer is highly correlated to the IOD event peaking about 9 months later.One of the possible physical mechanisms underlying this highly significant statistical relationship is proposed.The IOSD and the IOD can occur in sequence with the help of the Mascarene high.The SSTA in the southwestern Indian Ocean persists for several seasons after the mature phase of the IOSD event,likely due to the positive wind–evaporation–SST feedback mechanism.The Mascarene high will be weakened or intensified by this SSTA,which can affect the atmosphere in the tropical region by teleconnection.The pressure gradient between the Mascarene high and the monsoon trough in the tropical Indian Ocean increases(decreases).Hence,an anticyclone(cyclone)circulation appears over the Arabian Sea-India continent.The easterly or westerly anomalies appear in the equatorial Indian Ocean,inducing the onset stage of the IOD.This study shows that the SSTA associated with the IOSD can lead to the onset of IOD with the aid of atmosphere circulation and also explains why some IOD events in the tropical tend to be followed by IOSD in the southern Indian Ocean.     

Study the Mechanism of Surface Chlorophyll–a Variability in the Southern Tropical Indian Ocean Using an OGCM

Eleven years (1997–2007) of SeaWiFS observations and Ocean General Circulation Model sensitivity experiments are used to understand chlorophyll–a variability in the southern tropical Indian Ocean. The strong offshore Ekman transport forced by anomalous southeasterly winds are responsible for inducing higher chlorophyll-a in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. In the case of the southwest tropical Indian Ocean, Rossby waves and local upwelling are responsible for lifting the phytoplankton from deep chlorophyll maxima to the surface. Both intraseasonal dynamical response and interannual forcing are responsible for the phytoplankton blooming in the western basin, whereas the interannual forcing is mainly responsible in the east.     

Evidence for climatic and oceanographic controls on terrigenous sediment supply to the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean over the past 63,000?years

Multiple proxy studies on sediment core SK 200/22a from the sub-Antarctic sector of the Indian Ocean revealed millennial-scale fluctuations in terrigenous input during the last 63,000?years. The marine isotope stages 1 (MIS 1) and MIS 3 are characterized by generally low concentrations of magnetic minerals, being dominated by fine-grained magnetite and titano-magnetite. Within the chronological constraints, periods of enhanced terrigenous input and calcite productivity over the last 63,000?years are nearly synchronous with the warming events recorded in Antarctic ice cores. An equatorward shift of the westerly wind system in association with a strengthening of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) system may have promoted wind-induced shallow-water erosion around oceanic islands, leading to enhanced terrigenous input to the core site. Major ice-rafted debris events at 13?C23, 25?C30, 45?C48 and 55?C58?ka BP are asynchronous with ??¹⁸O and carbonate productivity records. This out-of-phase relation suggests that ice-sheet dynamics and ACC intensity were the primary factors influencing ice rafting and terrigenous input to the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean, with only limited support from sea-surface warming.     

Bacterivory in the northwestern Indian Ocean during the intermonsoon – northeast monsoon period

Bacterial grazing loss rates were studied by radioactive labeling of natural bacteria with L-(4,5-³H) leucine and from the rate of disappearance of bacterial cells in the northwestern Indian Ocean. Bacterivory was measured in a mixed sample that had been combined from various depths across the euphotic zone. Experiments were performed on 26 occasions at 19 stations in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea during the intermonsoon–northeast monsoon period (November–December 1994). Combined uptake of radiolabeled bacteria (ULB) in 1–8 and 8–100 μm size fractions was somewhat lower than loss of label (LBL) measured in the bacterial fraction (0.2–1.0 μm), suggesting loss of radioactivity from the grazers due to metabolism. The less sensitive rate of disappearance of bacterial cells (LBC) was on average 51% higher than LBL estimates. Results from ULB and LBL measurements revealed that bacterivory was higher in the Gulf of Oman (average loss rate 4.1% h^-1) than in the Arabian Sea where rates were slightly higher inshore (1.7% h^-1) than in the central gyre. Heterotrophic nanoflagellates in the 1–8 μm size fractions were identified as the primary bacterivores. Microzooplankton (8–100 μm) accounted for 33% of total bacterivory in the Gulf of Oman but only 16% in the central Arabian Sea. Time-course experiments conducted at two stations indicated that diel changes in bacterivory may be substantial in the northwestern Indian Ocean.     

A dipole mode at thermocline layer in the tropical Indian Ocean

Temperature data at different layers of the past 45 years were studied and we found adiploe mode in the thermocline layer (DMT): anomalously cold sea temperature off the coast of Sumatra and warm sea temperature in the western Indian Ocean. First, we analyzed the temperature and the temperature anomaly (TA) along the equatorial Indian Ocean in different layers. This shows that stronger cold and warm TA signals appeared at subsurface than at the surface in the tropical Indian O-cean. This result shows that there may be a strong dipole mode pattern in the subsurface tropical Indian Ocean. Secondly we used Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) to analyze the TA at thermocline layer. The first EOF pattern was a dipole mode pattern. Finally we analyzed the correlations between DMT and surface tropical dipole mode (SDM), DMT and Nino 3 SSTA, etc. and these correlations are strong.     

Space-Time Characteristic Analysis of Wind Field over the South Indian Ocean

1 IntroductionThe South Indian Ocean is the only way which must be passed in marine traffic among Africa, Asia and Oceania. With the development of the international traffic, it becomes more and more frequent to navigate over the South Indian Ocean. More and more hydrometeorological safeguards especially the safeguards of important cruise lines are required. However, data for the region in China is absent except the Indian Ocean Climate Atlas (1973)[1] which has short fixed number of…     

Spatiotemporal variations of the δ18O–salinity relation in the northern Indian Ocean

A new data set of oxygen isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O) and salinity (S) of surface and sub-surface waters of the northern Indian Ocean, collected during the period 1987–2009, is presented. While the results are consistent with positive P?E (excess of precipitation over evaporation) over the Bay of Bengal and negative P?E over the eastern Arabian Sea, a significant spatiotemporal variability in the slope (also intercept) of the δ¹⁸O–S relation is observed in the Bay; the temporal variability is difficult to discern in the Arabian Sea. The slope and intercept are positively and negatively correlated, respectively, with the annual rainfall over India, a rough measure of river runoff. Both the slope and intercept appear to be sensitive to rainfall; the slope (intercept) is higher (lower) during years of stronger monsoon. The observed variability in the δ¹⁸O–S relation implies that caution needs to be exercised in paleosalinity estimations, especially from the Bay of Bengal, based on δ¹⁸O of marine organisms.     

Structure and thickness of the Earth’s crust in the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean

A digital database on the seismostratigraphy of the oceanic crust of the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean is compiled. In the first layer of the crust, the interval seismic wave velocities are 3.02 ± 0.16 km/s; in the second layer, they equal to 5.31 ± 0.27 km/s; and, in the third layer, the values are 6.46 ± 0.30 km/s. The bottom of the third seismic layer is represented by mantle rocks with an average velocity of 8.10 ± 0.16 km/s. Schemes of the distribution of the thicknesses of the second and third layers of the oceanic crust, of the total thickness of the crust, of the surface of the basement, and of the Mohorovicic discontinuity for the area considered are presented. The schemes compiled allow one to update and complement the ideas about the configuration of the major tectonic structures of the area.     

Gravity anomalies and deep structure of the Ninetyeast Ridge north of the equator,eastern Indian Ocean — a hot spot trace model

The Ninetyeast Ridge north of the equator in the eastern Indian Ocean is actively deforming as evidenced by seismicity and its eastward subduction below the Andaman Trench. Basement of the ridge is elevated nearly 2 km with respect to the Bengal Fan; seismic surveys demonstrate continuity of the ridge beneath sediment for 700 km north of 10° N where the ridge plunges below the Fan sediment. The ridge is characterised by a free-air gravity high of 50 mgal amplitude and 350 km wavelength, and along-strike continuity of 1500 km in a north-south direction, closely fringing (locally, even abutting) the Andaman arc-trench bipolar gravity field. Regression analysis between gravity and bathymetry indicates that the ridge gravity field cannot be explained solely by its elevation. The ridge gravity field becomes gradually subdued northwards where overlying Bengal Fan sediments have a smaller density contrast with the ridge material. Our gravity interpretation, partly constrained by seismic data, infers that the ridge overlies significant crustal mass anomalies consistent with the hot spot model for the ridge. The anomalous mass is less dense by about 0.27 g cm^–3 than the surrounding oceanic upper mantle, and acts as a cushion for isostatic compensation of the ridge at the base of the crust. This cushion is up to 8 km thick and 400–600 km wide. Additional complexities are created by partial subduction of the ridge below the Andaman Trench that locally modifies the arc-trench gravity field.     

Joint analysis of the wind and wave-field variability in the Indian Ocean area for 1998–2009

In this paper, a detailed statistical analysis of the wind and wave fields in the Indian Ocean (IO) for the period of 1998-2009 was performed based on using the wind fields taken from the site of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NCEP/NOAA) [1] and on the numerical wind-wave model WAM [2] modified with the source function proposed in [3]. The primary analysis of the fields includes mapping the wind and wave fields, as well as their energy fields, calculated with different scales of space-time averaging; the subsequent zoning of the IO area; and assessing the seasonal interannual variability of all the fields and their 12-years trends. Further analysis is carried out taking into account the zoning. This analysis includes a construction of the time series obtained with different scales of space-time averaging for all the fields, a spectral analysis of these series, finding and analyzing the spatial and temporal distribution of extrema of the wind and wave fields (accounting for the their sharing in the zones), and making histograms of the wind and wave fields and calculating their first four statistical moments (in the zones and in the ocean as a whole). The results allow us to evaluate a large set of statistical characteristics of the wind and wave fields in the IO area, scales of their variability, their long-term trends, and the features of distribution for these statistical characteristics in the ocean area as well.     

Nine nations,one ocean: A benchmark appraisal of the South Western Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (2008–2012)

Coastal and island states of the Western Indian Ocean lack scientific and management capacity to draw sustainable benefits from their Exclusive Economic Zones. Declining ecosystem services and unregulated fishing has prompted nine riparian countries to develop a regional framework for capacity building and scientific development towards collective management of shared resources. Supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Agulhas and Somali Currents large marine ecosystems programme consists of three inter-related modules, supported by different agencies: land-based impacts on the marine environment (UNEP); productivity, ecosystem health and nearshore fisheries (UNDP) and transboundary shared and migrating fisheries resources (World Bank). The latter is the South Western Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP), a 5-year joint data gathering and fisheries assessment initiative. SWIOFP is a prelude to long-term cooperative fisheries management in partnership with the newly established FAO–South Western Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC). We describe the development of SWIOFP as a model of participatory regional scientific cooperation and collective ocean management.     

Radionuclides as tracers of water fronts in the South Indian Ocean—ANTARES IV Results

Anthropogenic ⁹⁰Sr, ^239,240Pu and ²⁴¹Am were used as tracers of water mass circulation in the Crozet Basin of the South Indian Ocean, represented by three main water fronts—Agulhas (AF), Subtropical (STF) and Subantarctic (SAF). Higher ⁹⁰Sr concentrations observed north of 43°S were due to the influence of AF and STF, which are associated with the south branch of the Subtropical gyre, which acts as a reservoir of radionuclides transported from the North to the South Indian Ocean. On the other hand, the region south of 43°S has been influenced by SAF, bringing to the Crozet Basin Antarctic waters with lower radionuclide concentrations. The ²³⁸Pu/^239,240Pu activity ratios observed in water and zooplankton samples indicated that, even 35 years after the injection of ²³⁸Pu to the Indian Ocean from the burn-up of the SNAP-9A satellite, the increased levels of ²³⁸Pu in surface water and zooplankton are still well visible. The radionuclide concentrations in seawater and their availability to zooplankton are responsible for the observed ²¹⁰Po, ^239,240Pu and ²⁴¹Am levels in zooplankton.     

Fronts and surface zonal geostrophic current along 115°E in the southern Indian Ocean

Altimeter and in situ data are used to estimate the mean surface zonal geostrophic current in the section along 115°E in the southern Indian Ocean,and the variation of strong currents in relation to the major fronts is studied.The results show that,in average,the flow in the core of Antarctic Circumpolar Current(ACC) along the section is composed of two parts,one corresponds to the jet of Subantarctic Front(SAF) and the other is the flow in the Polar Front Zone(PFZ),with a westward flow between them.The mean surface zonal geostrophic current corresponding to the SAF is up to 49 cm · s-1 at 46°S,which is the maximal velocity in the section.The eastward flow in the PFZ has a width of about 4.3 degrees in latitudes.The mean surface zonal geostrophic current corresponding to the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front(SACCF) is located at 59.7 °S with velocity less than 20 cm · s-1.The location of zonal geostrophic jet corresponding to the SAF is quite stable during the study period.In contrast,the eastward jets in the PFZ exhibit various patterns,i.e.,the primary Polar Front(PF1) shows its strong meridional shift and the secondary Polar Front(PF2) does not always coincide with jet.The surface zonal geostrophic current corresponding to SAF has the significant periods of annual,semi-annual and four-month.The geostrophic current of the PFZ also shows significant periods of semi-annual and four-month,but is out of phase with the periods of the SAF,which results in no notable semi-annual and fourmonth periods in the surface zonal geostrophic current in the core of the ACC.In terms of annual cycle,the mean surface zonal geostrophic current in the core of the ACC shows its maximal velocity in June.     

Long-term variations of surface and intermediate waters in the southern Indian Ocean along 32°S

Variations of water properties in surface and intermediate layers along 32°S in the southern Indian Ocean were examined using a 50-year (1960–2010) time series reproduced from historical hydrographic and Argo data by using optimum interpolation. Salinity in the 26.7–27.3σ_θ density layer decreased significantly over the whole section, at a maximum rate of 0.02 decade⁻¹ at 26.8–26.9σ_θ, for the 50-year average. Three deoxygenating cores were identified east of 75°E, and the increasing rate of apparent oxygen utilization in the most prominent core (26.9–27.0σ_θ) exceeded 0.05 ml l⁻¹ decade⁻¹. The pycnostad core of Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) and the salinity minimum of Antarctic Intermediate Water shifted slightly toward the lighter layers. Comparisons with trans-Indian Ocean survey data from 1936 suggest that the tendencies found in the time series began before 1960. Interestingly, cores of many prominent trends were located just offshore of Australia at 26.7–27.0σ_θ, which is in the SAMW density range. Spectrum analysis revealed that two oscillation components with time scales of about 40 and 10 years were dominant in the subsurface layers. Our results are fairly consistent with, and thus support, the oceanic responses in the southern Indian Ocean to anthropogenic climate change predicted by model studies.     

A probable mechanism of the formation of hydrocarbon deposits in the intraplate deformation area of the Indian Ocean’s lithosphere

Most of the hydrocarbon fields in the oceanic and thinned suboceanic crust are associated with deep-seated faults. This fact might be caused by methane formation under the serpentinization of the upper mantle rocks and its transfer to the sedimentary cover with hydrotherms. The northern part of the Indian Ocean deformation zone may be of considerable promise for the formation of deposits of such genesis. This is favored by the occurrence of the long-living hydrothermal activity over the deep-seated faults and by quite the thick sedimentary cover (over 1 km). In the course of cruise 32 of the R/V Akademik Kurchatov, a buried anticline formation with an acoustic anomaly of the bright-spot type was discovered 450 km southwards from Sri Lanka Island. This may point to the presence of a hydrocarbon accumulation in the sedimentary cover.     

Why is the Eastern Baltic cod recovering?

The Eastern Baltic cod stock was until recently below safe biological limits and suffered from high fishing pressure. In most recent years, fishing mortality substantially declined and spawner biomass more than tripled. Similar developments have not been observed for any other depleted cod stock in the North Atlantic during the last few decades. This paper investigates relative impacts of changes in different ecological and management-related drivers, which could have contributed to the rapid recovery of the Eastern Baltic cod. The results show that the success to reduce fishing mortality below management target in 2008 was due to a combination of increased recruitment and improved compliance with TAC. The reversal of the negative trend in biomass and rebuilding of the stock to the present level were largely driven by increased recruitment. Harvest control rules of the multi-annual management plan for setting TACs currently maintain the fishing mortality at a low level, which allows the stock to accumulate biomass and further accelerate its recovery. Relatively strong incoming year-classes and recently better control over removals distinguish the Eastern Baltic cod from other depleted European cod stocks, which have not shown similar positive trends in recent years. Sound management measures and compliance to those as well as favourable biological conditions are required for a successful stock recovery.     

Three-dimensional characteristics of mesoscale eddies simulated by a regional model in the northwestern Pacific Ocean during 2000–2008

Mesoscale eddies play vital roles in ocean processes. Although previous studies focused on eddy surface features and individual three-dimensional (3D) eddy cases in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, the analysis of unique eddy 3D regional characteristics is still lacking. A 3D eddy detection scheme is applied to 9 years (2000–2008) of eddy-resolving Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) output to obtain a 3D eddy dataset from the surface to a depth of 1 000 m in the northwestern Pacific Ocean (15°–35°N, 120°–145°E). The 3D characteristics of mesoscale eddies are analyzed in two regions, namely, Box1 (Subtropical Countercurrent, 15°–25°N, 120°–145°E) and Box2 (Southern Kuroshio Extension, 25°–35°N, 120°–145°E). In Box1, the current is characterized by strong vertical shear and weak horizontal shear. In Box2, the current is characterized by the strong Kuroshio, topographic effect, and the westward propagation of Rossby waves. The results indicate the importance of baroclinic instability in Box1, whereas in Box2, both the barotropic and baroclinic instability are important. Moreover, the mesoscale eddies’ properties in Box1 and Box2 are distinct. The eddies in Box1 have larger number and radius but a shorter lifetime. By contrast, Box2 has fewer eddies, which have smaller radius but longer lifetime. Vertically, more eddies are detected at the subsurface than at the surface in both regions; the depth of 650 m is the turning point in Box1. Above this depth, the number of cyclonic eddies (CEs) is larger than that of anticyclonic eddies (AEs). In Box2, the number of CEs is dominant vertically. Eddy kinetic energy (EKE) and mean normalized relative vorticity in Box2 are significantly higher than those in Box1. With increasing depth, the attenuation trend of EKE and relative vorticity of Box1 become greater than those of Box2. Furthermore, the upper ocean (about 300 m in depth) contains 68.6% of the eddies (instantaneous eddy). Only 16.6% of the eddies extend to 1 000 m. In addition, about 87% of the eddies are bowl-shaped eddies in the two regions. Only about 3% are cone-shaped eddies. With increasing depth of the eddies, the proportion of bowl-shaped eddies gradually decreases. Conversely, the cone- and lens-shaped eddies are equal in number at 700–1 000 m, accounting for about 30% each. Studying the 3D characteristics of eddies in two different regions of the northwestern Pacific Ocean is an important stepping stone for discussing the different eddy generation mechanisms.     

Observation of a red tide event in the Western Harbour, Xiamen

Measurements of red tide organism cell counting, chlorophyll a, water temperat-ure, salinity, pH, DO, COD, NH_4~ , NO_3, NO_2, active phosphate, dissolvable siliconwere made in a follow-up observation of a red tide event which occurred in the western harbourof Xiamen from 18th June to 3rd July in 1986.