Interpretation of tropical thermocline cooling in the Indian and Pacific oceans during recent decades

A warming trend has been detected in the world's oceans in recent decades. The basin-averaged warming, however, shows a complex vertical structure in the Indian and Pacific oceans. Warming in the upper ocean-with maxima near the surface- accompanies a strong cooling in the upper thermocline. Analysis of observed data and model solutions from this study reveals that the complex structure is confined mainly to the tropics. While increased greenhouse gases act to warm up the upper ocean by increasing downward surface heat fluxes, anomalous winds in the tropics cause upward Ekman pumping velocity and shoal the thermocline, resulting in an upper-thermocline cooling. This cooling process is well demonstrated by a simple model based on the ventilated thermocline theory. The study has important implications for climate change and fisheries.

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Copyright 2006 American Geophysical Union.


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Author Han, Weiqing
Meehl, Gerald
Hu, Aixue
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2006-12-14T00:00:00
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Topic Category geoscientificInformation
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Metadata Date 2023-08-18T18:39:34.307154
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:7254
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Han, Weiqing, Meehl, Gerald, Hu, Aixue. (2006). Interpretation of tropical thermocline cooling in the Indian and Pacific oceans during recent decades. UCAR/NCAR - Library. http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7474b5p. Accessed 28 July 2025.

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