Ekman-pumping forced model: Basic concept and implementation for causality understanding of tropical ocean variability

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26610146
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Meteorology/Physical oceanography/Hydrology
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Minobe Shoshiro 北海道大学, 理学研究院, 教授 (70219707)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小守 信正 国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, アプリケーションラボ, 主任技術研究員 (80359223)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: エクマンパンピング / アジョイント / 熱帯海洋 / 領域駆動実験

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Ekman pumping is a fundamental tool for understanding the causality in ocean variability except for the equator, where Ekman pumping becomes infinity. We have solved this difficulty by proposing and producing Ekman-pumping forced model for the first time and its adjuring backward integration version. By conducting a series of numerical experiments, we have found that off-equatorial Ekman pumping contribute more strongly in the Indian Ocean rather than in the Pacific Ocean for the equatorial upper layer thickness variability. Also, off-equatorial Ekman pumping contributes more for large-magnitude events of Indian Ocean dipole mode than for small magnitude events.

Free Research Field

気候力学