Interpreting Satellite Views of Biophysical Coupling With Subsurface TAO/TRITON data in the Tropical Pacific

Mathematics – Logic

Scientific paper

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4500 Oceanography: Physical, 4800 Oceanography: Biological And Chemical

Scientific paper

The concurrent operation of the TOPEX altimeter (SSH) and the SeaWiFS ocean color sensor (chlorophyll) has allowed unprecedented views of biophysical coupling in the surface ocean. SSH largely reflects changes in the thermocline depth, which can directly impact the vertical flux of nutrients to the surface by moving the nutricline into or out of the surface mixed layer. As a result, surface chlorophyll and SSH are generally negatively correlated because higher SSH indicates a deeper thermocline and nutricline. There is however significant geographical variability in the relationships between SSH and thermocline variability and between the depths of the thermocline and nutricline. The strongest negative correlations between SSH and chlorophyll should occur in the tropics, as the relationship between both SSH and thermocline depth and thermocline depth and nutricline depth, are tightest in this region. However, significant positive correlations between SSH and chlorophyll are observed in the western tropical Atlantic and in the central tropical Pacific. To understand the underlying causes for this apparent decoupling of SSH and chlorophyll in the tropical Pacific we use subsurface temperature structure data from the TAO/TRITON moorings to investigate the validity of the primary assumption that satellite SSH reflects changes in the depth of the thermocline. The physical forcing of chlorophyll in this region is also examined using other satellite datasets.

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