Investigation of the seasonal cycle of the equatorial currents in the Pacific

In the past analysis of ocean dynamics and the testing of ocean models has focused on dynamic height and SST(Sea Surface Temperature). This was a constraint imposed by the lack of data for other fields. Now though, with observations from the TAO array and surface drifter buoys. There has accumulated sufficient data on both the surface currents and the EUC(equatorial under current) in the Pacific for them to contribute to mechanism analysis and model testing. The data length though is such that we are restricted to annual variability. Here we use a hierarchy of models in conjunction with this recently available data to investigate the underlying mechanisms active in the seasonal cycle of these currents.

The work has been done in the broader context of the development of a complex intermediate coupled model for the forecasting and simulation of ENSO. One goal of the work is to determine the role of surface currents in atmosphere-ocean coupling.