Salt transport in the near‐surface layer in the monsoon‐influenced Indian Ocean using HYCOM

Salt advection in the top 5 m layer of the monsoon‐influenced Indian Ocean has been studied with high resolution HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) simulated sea surface salinity (SSS) during 2003‐06. The effect of monsoon reversals and roles of Ekman drift and geostrophic currents are emphasized. The Ekman drift component is found to be more important than the geostrophic component in exchange of salt in the basins; an indication of the influence of winds and the associated surface currents. The strongest differences in the salt advection terms occurred in the Bay of Bengal (BoB), an indication of the significant role of advection for the distribution of freshwater and the Ekman processes. The Inter‐Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is seen to influence advection patterns via Ekman drift along the equatorial region. This results in the creation of two salt advection bands whose positions vary seasonally. This study will help to interpret data from the recently launched Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and future Aquarius salinity missions for the Indian Ocean.

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