Seasonal winds might drive current variability in the northern Indian Ocean

Washington, August 9 (ANI): A new research has determined that seasonal winds might drive current variability in the northern Indian Ocean.

The research was carried out by J. Vialard and his team from the Laboratoire d'Oceanographie Experimentation et Approches Numeriques, IRD, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.

It was done to study the dynamics of the response of the northern Indian Ocean to intraseasonal winds.

The team analyzed satellite observations of sea level and wind stress as well as a new data set of currents recorded at 15 degrees North on the west coast of India.

They found that while sea level shows a seasonal variability, the alongshore current shows no clear seasonal cycle but is dominated by intraseasonal (55-110 day) fluctuations.

These current variations, the researchers found, arise as a response of the northern Indian Ocean to intraseasonal winds associated with the Madden-Julian Oscillation.

The team used linear wave theory to explain these observations.

Although the study focuses on the Indian Ocean, the researchers believe that similar dynamics could drive coastal current variability in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The results could also have implications for coastal current monitoring. (ANI)