Physical and biological mechanisms for planetary waves in ocean colour

Details Physical and biological mechanisms for planetary waves in ocean colour Physical and biological mechanisms for planetary waves in ocean colour

Apr 2003

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003eaeja....12568k&link_type=abstract

EGS - AGU - EUG Joint Assembly, Abstracts from the meeting held in Nice, France, 6 - 11 April 2003, abstract #12568

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We examine westward-propagating wavelike features seen in ocean colour (chlorophyll) data which travel at the same speed as that predicted for long planetary waves, and compare them with the signature of waves from altimetry. We then test several mechanisms for production of the signal, including horizontal (passive) north-south advection by the wave against a mean background gradient, and vertical upwelling of nitrate, which is converted into chlorophyll. The horizontal advective process predicts an amplitude for chlorophyll fluctuations in broad agreement with the observations. The observed and predicted phase difference between the chlorophyll and sea surface height signatures are very similar. The upwelling biological mechanism could potentially give a large signal in the chlorophyll field, but the predicted amplitude patterns, and the predicted phase difference are not in accord with the observations. We conclude that over most of the ocean, the chlorophyll signal is well explained by horizontal advective processes, although we cannot rule out that there exist locations where the biological (vertical) mechanisms may be playing a significant role.

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