Projects per year
Abstract
Persian Gulf Water (PGW) is an oxygenated, high-salinity water mass that has recently been detected in the Bay of Bengal (BoB). However, little is known about the transport pathways of PGW into the BoB. Ocean glider observations presented here demonstrate the presence of PGW in the southwestern BoB. Output from an ocean reanalysis product shows that this PGW signal is associated with a northward-flowing filament of high-salinity water. Particle tracking experiments reveal two pathways: one in the eastern Arabian Sea that takes a minimum of 2 years and another in the western Arabian Sea that takes a minimum of 3 years. The western pathway connects to the BoB via equatorial currents. The greatest influx of PGW occurs between 82° and 87°E during the southwest monsoon. We propose that injection of PGW to the BoB oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) contributes to keeping oxygen concentrations in the BoB above the level at which denitrification occurs.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e2020GL087773 |
Journal | Geophysical Research Letters |
Volume | 47 |
Issue number | 14 |
Early online date | 9 Jun 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 28 Jul 2020 |
Keywords
- Bay of Bengal
- Persian Gulf
- ocean gliders
- oxygen-minimum zones
- particle tracking
- water masses
Profiles
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Karen Heywood
- School of Environmental Sciences - Professor of Physical Oceanography
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences - Member
- ClimateUEA - Member
Person: Research Group Member, Academic, Teaching & Research
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Adrian Matthews
- School of Environmental Sciences - Professor of Meteorology
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences - Member
- ClimateUEA - Member
Person: Research Group Member, Academic, Teaching & Research
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Ben Webber
- School of Environmental Sciences - Associate Professor in Climate Science
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences - Member
- Climatic Research Unit - Member
- ClimateUEA - Member
Person: Member, Research Group Member, Academic, Teaching & Research
Projects
- 1 Finished
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BoBBLE: Bay of Bengal Boundary Layer Experiment.
Matthews, A., Heywood, K., Joshi, M., Webber, B. & Woodward, S.
Natural Environment Research Council
15/01/15 → 14/07/20
Project: Research