Interannual to decadal variability of dominant modes in the ocean circulation of the tropical western Indian Ocean

This study investigates the impact of remotely induced atmospheric anomalies on the circulation of the Arabian Sea and western Indian Ocean and the interactions with its internal variability. Recent studies suggested that an atmospheric teleconnection from the Tropical Atlantic influences the Indian summer monsoon rainfall and possibly the SSTs in the Arabian Sea region.

With an ensemble of numerical experiments, using ROMS (Regional Ocean Modeling System) forced with different composites of observed winds, we investigate the impact of specific atmospheric regimes on the ocean dynamics. The eddy variability in the studied region and its variation in response to changes in the atmospheric circulation are quantified.