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Ming
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PreprintUpper ocean momentum balances in the western equatorial Pacific on the intraseasonal time scale( 2004-12-15) Feng, Ming ; Lukas, Roger ; Hacker, Peter ; Plueddemann, Albert J. ; Weller, Robert A.Surface Meteorology, upper ocean current, and hydrographic measurements, collected along a repeated survey pattern and from a central mooring in the western equatorial Pacific during late 1992 to early 1993, were used to analyse upper ocean momentum balances on the intraseasonal time scale. Wind stresses derived from meteorological measurements were compared with numerical weather prediction products. Advection terms in the momentum equations were estimated by planar fits to the current and hydrographic data. Pressure gradient terms were derived from planar fits to the dynamic heights calculated from the hydrographic data, referenced by balancing the momentum equation in a selected layer below the mixed layer. Under prevailing westerly winds, westward pressure gradient forcings of 2x10-7 m s-2 were set up in the western equatorial Pacific, countering the surface wind, while the total advection tended to accelerate the eastward momentum in the surface layer. During both calm wind and westerly wind burst periods, zonal turbulent momentum fluxes estimated from the ocean budgets were comparable with those estimated from microstructure dissipation rate measurements and with zonal wind stresses, so that the zonal momentum could be balanced within error bars. The meridional momentum balances were noisier, which might be due to the fact that the short meridional length scale of the equatorial inertial-gravity waves could contaminate the dynamic signals in the mixed temporal/spatial sampling data, so that the meridional gradient estimates from the planar fits could be biased.
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ArticleDrivers and impacts of the most extreme marine heatwaves events(Nature Research, 2020-11-09) Sen Gupta, Alexander ; Thomsen, Mads ; Benthuysen, Jessica A. ; Hobday, Alistair J. ; Oliver, Eric ; Alexander, Lisa V. ; Burrows, Michael T. ; Donat, Markus G. ; Feng, Ming ; Holbrook, Neil J. ; Perkins-Kirkpatrick, Sarah ; Moore, Pippa J. ; Rodrigues, Regina ; Scannell, Hillary A. ; Taschetto, Andrea S. ; Ummenhofer, Caroline C. ; Wernberg, Thomas ; Smale, Dan A.Prolonged high-temperature extreme events in the ocean, marine heatwaves, can have severe and long-lasting impacts on marine ecosystems, fisheries and associated services. This study applies a marine heatwave framework to analyse a global sea surface temperature product and identify the most extreme events, based on their intensity, duration and spatial extent. Many of these events have yet to be described in terms of their physical attributes, generation mechanisms, or ecological impacts. Our synthesis identifies commonalities between marine heatwave characteristics and seasonality, links to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, triggering processes and impacts on ocean productivity. The most intense events preferentially occur in summer, when climatological oceanic mixed layers are shallow and winds are weak, but at a time preceding climatological maximum sea surface temperatures. Most subtropical extreme marine heatwaves were triggered by persistent atmospheric high-pressure systems and anomalously weak wind speeds, associated with increased insolation, and reduced ocean heat losses. Furthermore, the most extreme events tended to coincide with reduced chlorophyll-a concentration at low and mid-latitudes. Understanding the importance of the oceanic background state, local and remote drivers and the ocean productivity response from past events are critical steps toward improving predictions of future marine heatwaves and their impacts.
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ArticleImproving Australian rainfall prediction using sea surface salinity(American Meteorological Society, 2021-03-01) Rathore, Saurabh ; Bindoff, Nathaniel L. ; Ummenhofer, Caroline C. ; Phillips, Helen E. ; Feng, Ming ; Mishra, MayankThis study uses sea surface salinity (SSS) as an additional precursor for improving the prediction of summer [December–February (DJF)] rainfall over northeastern Australia. From a singular value decomposition between SSS of prior seasons and DJF rainfall, we note that SSS of the Indo-Pacific warm pool region [SSSP (150°E–165°W and 10°S–10°N) and SSSI (50°–95°E and 10°S–10°N)] covaries with Australian rainfall, particularly in the northeast region. Composite analysis that is based on high or low SSS events in the SSSP and SSSI regions is performed to understand the physical links between the SSS and the atmospheric moisture originating from the regions of anomalously high or low, respectively, SSS and precipitation over Australia. The composites show the signature of co-occurring La Niña and negative Indian Ocean dipole with anomalously wet conditions over Australia and conversely show the signature of co-occurring El Niño and positive Indian Ocean dipole with anomalously dry conditions there. During the high SSS events of the SSSP and SSSI regions, the convergence of incoming moisture flux results in anomalously wet conditions over Australia with a positive soil moisture anomaly. Conversely, during the low SSS events of the SSSP and SSSI regions, the divergence of incoming moisture flux results in anomalously dry conditions over Australia with a negative soil moisture anomaly. We show from the random-forest regression analysis that the local soil moisture, El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and SSSP are the most important precursors for the northeast Australian rainfall whereas for the Brisbane region ENSO, SSSP, and the Indian Ocean dipole are the most important. The prediction of Australian rainfall using random-forest regression shows an improvement by including SSS from the prior season. This evidence suggests that sustained observations of SSS can improve the monitoring of the Australian regional hydrological cycle.
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ArticleTracking air-sea exchange and upper-ocean variability in the Indonesian-Australian basin during the onset of the 2018/19 Australian summer monsoon(American Meteorological Society, 2020-08-01) Feng, Ming ; Duan, Yongliang ; Wijffels, Susan E. ; Hsu, Je-Yuan ; Li, Chao ; Wang, Huiwu ; Yang, Yang ; Shen, Hong ; Liu, Jianjun ; Ning, Chunlin ; Yu, WeidongSea surface temperatures (SSTs) north of Australia in the Indonesian–Australian Basin are significantly influenced by Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), an eastward-moving atmospheric disturbance that traverses the globe in the tropics. The region also has large-amplitude diurnal SST variations, which may influence the air–sea heat and moisture fluxes, that provide feedback to the MJO evolution. During the 2018/19 austral summer, a field campaign aiming to better understand the influences of air–sea coupling on the MJO was conducted north of Australia in the Indonesian–Australian Basin. Surface meteorology from buoy observations and upper-ocean data from autonomous fast-profiling float observations were collected. Two MJO convective phases propagated eastward across the region in mid-December 2018 and late January 2019 and the second MJO was in conjunction with a tropical cyclone development. Observations showed that SST in the region was rather sensitive to the MJO forcing. Air–sea heat fluxes warmed the SST throughout the 2018/19 austral summer, punctuated by the MJO activities, with a 2°–3°C drop in SST during the two MJO events. Substantial diurnal SST variations during the suppressed phases of the MJOs were observed, and the near-surface thermal stratifications provided positive feedback for the peak diurnal SST amplitude, which may be a mechanism to influence the MJO evolution. Compared to traditionally vessel-based observation programs, we have relied on fast-profiling floats as the main vehicle in measuring the upper-ocean variability from diurnal to the MJO time scales, which may pave the way for using cost-effective technology in similar process studies.
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ArticleNear-surface salinity reveals the oceanic sources of moisture for Australian precipitation through atmospheric moisture transport(American Meteorological Society, 2020-07-01) Rathore, Saurabh ; Bindoff, Nathaniel L. ; Ummenhofer, Caroline C. ; Phillips, Helen E. ; Feng, MingThe long-term trend of sea surface salinity (SSS) reveals an intensification of the global hydrological cycle due to human-induced climate change. This study demonstrates that SSS variability can also be used as a measure of terrestrial precipitation on interseasonal to interannual time scales, and to locate the source of moisture. Seasonal composites during El Niño–Southern Oscillation/Indian Ocean dipole (ENSO/IOD) events are used to understand the variations of moisture transport and precipitation over Australia, and their association with SSS variability. As ENSO/IOD events evolve, patterns of positive or negative SSS anomaly emerge in the Indo-Pacific warm pool region and are accompanied by atmospheric moisture transport anomalies toward Australia. During co-occurring La Niña and negative IOD events, salty anomalies around the Maritime Continent (north of Australia) indicate freshwater export and are associated with a significant moisture transport that converges over Australia to create anomalous wet conditions. In contrast, during co-occurring El Niño and positive IOD events, a moisture transport divergence anomaly over Australia results in anomalous dry conditions. The relationship between SSS and atmospheric moisture transport also holds for pure ENSO/IOD events but varies in magnitude and spatial pattern. The significant pattern correlation between the moisture flux divergence and SSS anomaly during the ENSO/IOD events highlights the associated ocean–atmosphere coupling. A case study of the extreme hydroclimatic events of Australia (e.g., the 2010/11 Brisbane flood) demonstrates that the changes in SSS occur before the peak of ENSO/IOD events. This raises the prospect that tracking of SSS variability could aid the prediction of Australian rainfall.
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ArticleInteractions between a marine heatwave and tropical cyclone Amphan in the Bay of Bengal in 2020(Frontiers Media, 2022-06-07) Rathore, Saurabh ; Goyal, Rishav ; Jangir, Babita ; Ummenhofer, Caroline C. ; Feng, Ming ; Mishra, MayankInteractions are diagnosed between a marine heatwave (MHW) event and tropical super cyclone Amphan in the Bay of Bengal. In May 2020, an MHW developed in the Bay of Bengal driven by coupled ocean-atmosphere processes which included shoaling of the mixed layer depth due to reduced wind speed, increased net surface shortwave radiation flux into the ocean, increased upper ocean stratification, and increased sub-surface warming. Ocean temperature, rather than salinity, dominated the stratification that contributed to the MHW development and the subsurface ocean warming that also increased tropical cyclone heat potential. The presence of this strong MHW with sea surface temperature anomalies >2.5°C in the western Bay of Bengal coincided with the cyclone track and facilitated the rapid intensification of tropical cyclone Amphan to a super cyclone in just 24 h. This rapid intensification of a short-lived tropical cyclone, with a lifespan of 5 days over the ocean, is unprecedented in the Bay of Bengal during the pre-monsoon period (March-May). As the cyclone approached landfall in northern India, the wind-induced mixing deepened the mixed layer, cooled the ocean's surface, and reduced sub-surface warming in the bay, resulting in the demise of the MHW. This study provides new perspectives on the interactions between MHWs and tropical cyclones that could aid in improving the current understanding of compound extreme events that have severe socio-economic consequences in affected countries.
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ArticleDetecting change in the Indonesian Seas(Frontiers Media, 2019-06-04) Sprintall, Janet ; Gordon, Arnold L. ; Wijffels, Susan E. ; Feng, Ming ; Hu, Shijian ; Koch-Larrouy, Ariane ; Phillips, Helen E. ; Nugroho, Dwiyoga ; Napitu, Asmi ; Pujiana, Kandaga ; Susanto, R. Dwi ; Sloyan, Bernadette M. ; Yuan, Dongliang ; Riama, Nelly Florida ; Siswanto, Siswanto ; Kuswardani, Anastasia ; Arifin, Zainal ; Wahyudi, A’an J. ; Zhou, Hui ; Nagai, Taira ; Ansong, Joseph ; Bourdalle-Badié, Romain ; Chanut, Jerome ; Lyard, Florent ; Arbic, Brian K. ; Ramdhani, Andri ; Setiawan, AgusThe Indonesian seas play a fundamental role in the coupled ocean and climate system with the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) providing the only tropical pathway connecting the global oceans. Pacific warm pool waters passing through the Indonesian seas are cooled and freshened by strong air-sea fluxes and mixing from internal tides to form a unique water mass that can be tracked across the Indian Ocean basin and beyond. The Indonesian seas lie at the climatological center of the atmospheric deep convection associated with the ascending branch of the Walker Circulation. Regional SST variations cause changes in the surface winds that can shift the center of atmospheric deep convection, subsequently altering the precipitation and ocean circulation patterns within the entire Indo-Pacific region. Recent multi-decadal changes in the wind and buoyancy forcing over the tropical Indo-Pacific have directly affected the vertical profile, strength, and the heat and freshwater transports of the ITF. These changes influence the large-scale sea level, SST, precipitation and wind patterns. Observing long-term changes in mass, heat and freshwater within the Indonesian seas is central to understanding the variability and predictability of the global coupled climate system. Although substantial progress has been made over the past decade in measuring and modeling the physical and biogeochemical variability within the Indonesian seas, large uncertainties remain. A comprehensive strategy is needed for measuring the temporal and spatial scales of variability that govern the various water mass transport streams of the ITF, its connection with the circulation and heat and freshwater inventories and associated air-sea fluxes of the regional and global oceans. This white paper puts forward the design of an observational array using multi-platforms combined with high-resolution models aimed at increasing our quantitative understanding of water mass transformation rates and advection within the Indonesian seas and their impacts on the air-sea climate system. Introduction
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ArticleProgress in understanding of Indian Ocean circulation, variability, air-sea exchange, and impacts on biogeochemistry(European Geosciences Union, 2021-11-26) Phillips, Helen E. ; Tandon, Amit ; Furue, Ryo ; Hood, Raleigh R. ; Ummenhofer, Caroline C. ; Benthuysen, Jessica A. ; Menezes, Viviane V. ; Hu, Shijian ; Webber, Ben ; Sanchez-Franks, Alejandra ; Cherian, Deepak A. ; Shroyer, Emily L. ; Feng, Ming ; Wijesekera, Hemantha W. ; Chatterjee, Abhisek ; Yu, Lisan ; Hermes, Juliet ; Murtugudde, Raghu ; Tozuka, Tomoki ; Su, Danielle ; Singh, Arvind ; Centurioni, Luca R. ; Prakash, Satya ; Wiggert, Jerry D.Over the past decade, our understanding of the Indian Ocean has advanced through concerted efforts toward measuring the ocean circulation and air–sea exchanges, detecting changes in water masses, and linking physical processes to ecologically important variables. New circulation pathways and mechanisms have been discovered that control atmospheric and oceanic mean state and variability. This review brings together new understanding of the ocean–atmosphere system in the Indian Ocean since the last comprehensive review, describing the Indian Ocean circulation patterns, air–sea interactions, and climate variability. Coordinated international focus on the Indian Ocean has motivated the application of new technologies to deliver higher-resolution observations and models of Indian Ocean processes. As a result we are discovering the importance of small-scale processes in setting the large-scale gradients and circulation, interactions between physical and biogeochemical processes, interactions between boundary currents and the interior, and interactions between the surface and the deep ocean. A newly discovered regional climate mode in the southeast Indian Ocean, the Ningaloo Niño, has instigated more regional air–sea coupling and marine heatwave research in the global oceans. In the last decade, we have seen rapid warming of the Indian Ocean overlaid with extremes in the form of marine heatwaves. These events have motivated studies that have delivered new insight into the variability in ocean heat content and exchanges in the Indian Ocean and have highlighted the critical role of the Indian Ocean as a clearing house for anthropogenic heat. This synthesis paper reviews the advances in these areas in the last decade.
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ArticleA road map to IndOOS-2 better observations of the rapidly warming Indian Ocean(American Meteorological Society, 2020-11-01) Beal, Lisa M. ; Vialard, Jérôme ; Roxy, Mathew Koll ; Li, Jing ; Andres, Magdalena ; Annamalai, Hariharasubramanian ; Feng, Ming ; Han, Weiqing ; Hood, Raleigh R. ; Lee, Tong ; Lengaigne, Matthieu ; Lumpkin, Rick ; Masumoto, Yukio ; McPhaden, Michael J. ; Ravichandran, M. ; Shinoda, Toshiaki ; Sloyan, Bernadette M. ; Strutton, Peter G. ; Subramanian, Aneesh C. ; Tozuka, Tomoki ; Ummenhofer, Caroline C. ; Unnikrishnan, Shankaran Alakkat ; Wiggert, Jerry D. ; Yu, Lisan ; Cheng, Lijing ; Desbruyères, Damien G. ; Parvathi, V.The Indian Ocean Observing System (IndOOS), established in 2006, is a multinational network of sustained oceanic measurements that underpin understanding and forecasting of weather and climate for the Indian Ocean region and beyond. Almost one-third of humanity lives around the Indian Ocean, many in countries dependent on fisheries and rain-fed agriculture that are vulnerable to climate variability and extremes. The Indian Ocean alone has absorbed a quarter of the global oceanic heat uptake over the last two decades and the fate of this heat and its impact on future change is unknown. Climate models project accelerating sea level rise, more frequent extremes in monsoon rainfall, and decreasing oceanic productivity. In view of these new scientific challenges, a 3-yr international review of the IndOOS by more than 60 scientific experts now highlights the need for an enhanced observing network that can better meet societal challenges, and provide more reliable forecasts. Here we present core findings from this review, including the need for 1) chemical, biological, and ecosystem measurements alongside physical parameters; 2) expansion into the western tropics to improve understanding of the monsoon circulation; 3) better-resolved upper ocean processes to improve understanding of air–sea coupling and yield better subseasonal to seasonal predictions; and 4) expansion into key coastal regions and the deep ocean to better constrain the basinwide energy budget. These goals will require new agreements and partnerships with and among Indian Ocean rim countries, creating opportunities for them to enhance their monitoring and forecasting capacity as part of IndOOS-2.
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ArticleRapid restratification of the ocean surface boundary layer during the suppressed phase of the MJO in austral spring(IOP Publishing, 2022-02-11) Hsu, Je-Yuan ; Feng, Ming ; Wijffels, Susan E.Rapid restratification of the ocean surface boundary layer in the Indonesian-Australian Basin was captured in austral spring 2018, under the conditions of low wind speed and clear sky during the suppressed phase of Madden–Julian Oscillations (MJOs). Despite sunny days, strong diurnal variations of sea surface temperature (SST) were not observed until the wind speed became extremely low, because the decreasing wind speed modulated the latent heat flux. Combined with the horizontal advection of ocean current, the reduced upward heat loss inhibited the nighttime convective mixing and facilitated the restratification of the subsurface ocean layers. The surface mixed layer was thus shoaled up to 40 m in two days. The restratified upper ocean then sustained high SSTs by trapping heat near the sea surface until the onset of the MJO convection. This restratification process might be initialized under the atmospheric downwelling conditions during the suppressed phase of MJOs. The resulted high SSTs may affect the development and trajectories of MJOs, by enhancing air-sea heat and moisture fluxes as the winds pick up. Simulating this detailed interaction between the near-surface ocean and atmospheric features of MJOs remains a challenge, but with sufficient vertical resolution and realistic initial conditions, several features of the observations can be well captured.
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ArticleA sustained ocean observing system in the Indian Ocean for climate related scientific knowledge and societal needs(Frontiers Media, 2019-06-28) Hermes, Juliet ; Masumoto, Yukio ; Beal, Lisa M. ; Roxy, Mathew Koll ; Vialard, Jérôme ; Andres, Magdalena ; Annamalai, Hariharasubramanian ; Behera, Swadhin ; D’Adamo, Nick ; Doi, Takeshi ; Feng, Ming ; Han, Weiqing ; Hardman-Mountford, Nick ; Hendon, Harry ; Hood, Raleigh R. ; Kido, Shoichiro ; Lee, Craig M. ; Lee, Tong ; Lengaigne, Matthieu ; Li, Jing ; Lumpkin, Rick ; Navaneeth, K. N. ; Milligan, Ben ; McPhaden, Michael J. ; Ravichandran, M. ; Shinoda, Toshiaki ; Singh, Arvind ; Sloyan, Bernadette M. ; Strutton, Peter G. ; Subramanian, Aneesh C. ; Thurston, Sidney ; Tozuka, Tomoki ; Ummenhofer, Caroline C. ; Unnikrishnan, Shankaran Alakkat ; Venkatesan, Ramasamy ; Wang, Dongxiao ; Wiggert, Jerry D. ; Yu, Lisan ; Yu, WeidongThe Indian Ocean is warming faster than any of the global oceans and its climate is uniquely driven by the presence of a landmass at low latitudes, which causes monsoonal winds and reversing currents. The food, water, and energy security in the Indian Ocean rim countries and islands are intrinsically tied to its climate, with marine environmental goods and services, as well as trade within the basin, underpinning their economies. Hence, there are a range of societal needs for Indian Ocean observation arising from the influence of regional phenomena and climate change on, for instance, marine ecosystems, monsoon rains, and sea-level. The Indian Ocean Observing System (IndOOS), is a sustained observing system that monitors basin-scale ocean-atmosphere conditions, while providing flexibility in terms of emerging technologies and scientificand societal needs, and a framework for more regional and coastal monitoring. This paper reviews the societal and scientific motivations, current status, and future directions of IndOOS, while also discussing the need for enhanced coastal, shelf, and regional observations. The challenges of sustainability and implementation are also addressed, including capacity building, best practices, and integration of resources. The utility of IndOOS ultimately depends on the identification of, and engagement with, end-users and decision-makers and on the practical accessibility and transparency of data for a range of products and for decision-making processes. Therefore we highlight current progress, issues and challenges related to end user engagement with IndOOS, as well as the needs of the data assimilation and modeling communities. Knowledge of the status of the Indian Ocean climate and ecosystems and predictability of its future, depends on a wide range of socio-economic and environmental data, a significant part of which is provided by IndOOS.
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ArticleGlobal perspectives on observing ocean boundary current systems(Frontiers Media, 2019-08-08) Todd, Robert E. ; Chavez, Francisco P. ; Clayton, Sophie A. ; Cravatte, Sophie ; Goes, Marlos Pereira ; Graco, Michelle ; Lin, Xiaopei ; Sprintall, Janet ; Zilberman, Nathalie ; Archer, Matthew ; Arístegui, Javier ; Balmaseda, Magdalena A. ; Bane, John M. ; Baringer, Molly O. ; Barth, John A. ; Beal, Lisa M. ; Brandt, Peter ; Calil, Paulo H. R. ; Campos, Edmo ; Centurioni, Luca R. ; Chidichimo, Maria Paz ; Cirano, Mauro ; Cronin, Meghan F. ; Curchitser, Enrique N. ; Davis, Russ E. ; Dengler, Marcus ; deYoung, Brad ; Dong, Shenfu ; Escribano, Ruben ; Fassbender, Andrea ; Fawcett, Sarah E. ; Feng, Ming ; Goni, Gustavo J. ; Gray, Alison R. ; Gutiérrez, Dimitri ; Hebert, Dave ; Hummels, Rebecca ; Ito, Shin-ichi ; Krug, Marjolaine ; Lacan, Francois ; Laurindo, Lucas ; Lazar, Alban ; Lee, Craig M. ; Lengaigne, Matthieu ; Levine, Naomi M. ; Middleton, John ; Montes, Ivonne ; Muglia, Michael ; Nagai, Takeyoshi ; Palevsky, Hilary I. ; Palter, Jaime B. ; Phillips, Helen E. ; Piola, Alberto R. ; Plueddemann, Albert J. ; Qiu, Bo ; Rodrigues, Regina ; Roughan, Moninya ; Rudnick, Daniel L. ; Rykaczewski, Ryan R. ; Saraceno, Martin ; Seim, Harvey E. ; Sen Gupta, Alexander ; Shannon, Lynne ; Sloyan, Bernadette M. ; Sutton, Adrienne J. ; Thompson, LuAnne ; van der Plas, Anja K. ; Volkov, Denis L. ; Wilkin, John L. ; Zhang, Dongxiao ; Zhang, LinlinOcean boundary current systems are key components of the climate system, are home to highly productive ecosystems, and have numerous societal impacts. Establishment of a global network of boundary current observing systems is a critical part of ongoing development of the Global Ocean Observing System. The characteristics of boundary current systems are reviewed, focusing on scientific and societal motivations for sustained observing. Techniques currently used to observe boundary current systems are reviewed, followed by a census of the current state of boundary current observing systems globally. The next steps in the development of boundary current observing systems are considered, leading to several specific recommendations.