The Impact of Barrier Layers on Arabian Sea Surface Temperature Variability

Abstract Barrier layers (BLs) in the Arabian Sea may lead to increased mixed layer (ML) warming or cooling relative to non‐BL conditions, depending on differences in ML properties and atmospheric forcing. We use 13 years of profiling float data from the Arabian Sea to identify when and where each im...

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Main Authors: Rosalind Echols, Stephen C. Riser
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-02-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085290
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author Rosalind Echols
Stephen C. Riser
author_facet Rosalind Echols
Stephen C. Riser
author_sort Rosalind Echols
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Barrier layers (BLs) in the Arabian Sea may lead to increased mixed layer (ML) warming or cooling relative to non‐BL conditions, depending on differences in ML properties and atmospheric forcing. We use 13 years of profiling float data from the Arabian Sea to identify when and where each impact is likely based on analysis of the ML temperature tendency. We use a novel method based on the vertical spice profile to identify BLs and their characteristics. BLs are most likely to increase warming during the northeast monsoon, owing to temperature inversions, preceding the development of the miniwarm pool and onset of the southwest monsoon. This effect is nonuniform and is counteracted in some regions by increased penetration of solar radiation below the shallower ML associated with BL. Relative rates of cooling increase in the presence of BL during the southwest monsoon; intermonsoon periods show little net effect from BL.
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-87dad16da3b54632a1cc88d9b0cda00c2025-08-20T02:31:27ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072020-02-01473n/an/a10.1029/2019GL085290The Impact of Barrier Layers on Arabian Sea Surface Temperature VariabilityRosalind Echols0Stephen C. Riser1School of Oceanography University of Washington Seattle WA USASchool of Oceanography University of Washington Seattle WA USAAbstract Barrier layers (BLs) in the Arabian Sea may lead to increased mixed layer (ML) warming or cooling relative to non‐BL conditions, depending on differences in ML properties and atmospheric forcing. We use 13 years of profiling float data from the Arabian Sea to identify when and where each impact is likely based on analysis of the ML temperature tendency. We use a novel method based on the vertical spice profile to identify BLs and their characteristics. BLs are most likely to increase warming during the northeast monsoon, owing to temperature inversions, preceding the development of the miniwarm pool and onset of the southwest monsoon. This effect is nonuniform and is counteracted in some regions by increased penetration of solar radiation below the shallower ML associated with BL. Relative rates of cooling increase in the presence of BL during the southwest monsoon; intermonsoon periods show little net effect from BL.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085290mixed layerbarrier layerArabian Seaair–sea interaction
spellingShingle Rosalind Echols
Stephen C. Riser
The Impact of Barrier Layers on Arabian Sea Surface Temperature Variability
Geophysical Research Letters
mixed layer
barrier layer
Arabian Sea
air–sea interaction
title The Impact of Barrier Layers on Arabian Sea Surface Temperature Variability
title_full The Impact of Barrier Layers on Arabian Sea Surface Temperature Variability
title_fullStr The Impact of Barrier Layers on Arabian Sea Surface Temperature Variability
title_full_unstemmed The Impact of Barrier Layers on Arabian Sea Surface Temperature Variability
title_short The Impact of Barrier Layers on Arabian Sea Surface Temperature Variability
title_sort impact of barrier layers on arabian sea surface temperature variability
topic mixed layer
barrier layer
Arabian Sea
air–sea interaction
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085290
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