Observational verification of the diapycnal mixing induced by tropical instability waves

Velocity data from moored current meters is combined with satellite sea surface temperature (SST) to compute oceanic mixed layer temperature advection by Tropical Instability Waves (TIWs). For the years 2002 to 2005 it is found that this process heats the equatorial mixed layer at an annual mean rate of + 0.8 C/month at 0N, 140W and + 2.8 C/month at 0N, 110W.

At 0N, 110W, approximately 25% of the heating is contributed by zonal temperature advection, a process that has often been assumed to be negligible. From a nine month segment of data (May 2004 - February 2005), the zonal temperature advection at 2N, 140W has been estimated to be approximately 0.7 C/month, much larger than the equatorial value for the same time period.

Thus, the data supports a recent theory-based hypothesis that TIWs create a significant air-sea heat flux, most of it at 2N and not on the equator, as hitherto assumed.