FN Archimer Export Format
PT J
TI A modeling study of the processes of surface salinity seasonal cycle in the Bay of Bengal
BT 
AF AKHIL, V. P.
   DURAND, Fabien
   LENGAIGNE, Matthieu
   VIALARD, Jerome
   KEERTHI, M. G.
   GOPALAKRISHNA, V. V.
   DELTEL, Charles
   PAPA, Fabrice
   DE BOYER MONTEGUT, Clement
AS 1:1;2:1;3:2,3;4:3;5:4;6:2;7:3;8:1,4;9:5;
FF 1:;2:;3:;4:;5:;6:;7:;8:;9:PDG-ODE-LOS;
C1 UPS, CNRS, CNES, LEGOS,IRD, Toulouse, France.
   NIO, Panaji, Goa, India.
   Univ Paris 06, Univ Paris 04, LOCEAN, IPSL,CNRS,IRD,MNHN, Paris, France.
   Indian Inst Sci, Indo French Cell Water Sci, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka, India.
   IFREMER, LOS, Plouzane, France.
C2 UNIV TOULOUSE, FRANCE
   NIO, INDIA
   UNIV PARIS 06, FRANCE
   INDIAN INST SCI, INDIA
   IFREMER, FRANCE
SI BREST
SE PDG-ODE-LOS
IN WOS Ifremer jusqu'en 2018
   copubli-france
   copubli-univ-france
   copubli-int-hors-europe
   copubli-sud
TC 86
UR https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00197/30819/29189.pdf
LA English
DT Article
AB In response to the Indian Monsoon freshwater forcing, the Bay of Bengal exhibits a very strong seasonal cycle in sea surface salinity (SSS), especially near the mouths of the Ganges-Brahmaputra and along the east coast of India. In this paper, we use an eddy-permitting (∼25 km resolution) regional ocean general circulation model simulation to quantify the processes responsible for this SSS seasonal cycle. Despite the absence of relaxation toward observations, the model reproduces the main features of the observed SSS seasonal cycle, with freshest water in the northeastern Bay, particularly during and after the monsoon. The model also displays an intense and shallow freshening signal in a narrow (∼100 km wide) strip that hugs the east coast of India, from September to January, in good agreement with high-resolution measurements along two ships of opportunity lines. The mixed layer salt budget confirms that the strong freshening in the northern Bay during the monsoon results from the Ganges-Brahmaputra river discharge and from precipitation over the ocean. From September onward, the East India Coastal Current transports this freshwater southward along the east coast of India, reaching the southern tip of India in November. The surface freshening results in an enhanced vertical salinity gradient that increases salinity of the surface layer by vertical processes. Our results reveal that the erosion of the freshwater tongue along the east coast of India is not driven by northward horizontal advection, but by vertical processes that eventually overcome the freshening by southward advection and restore SSS to its premonsoon values. The salinity-stratified barrier layer hence only acts as a “barrier” for vertical heat fluxes, but is associated with intense vertical salt fluxes in the Bay of Bengal.
PY 2014
PD JUL
SO Journal Of Geophysical Research-oceans
SN 0148-0027
PU Amer Geophysical Union
VL 119
IS 6
UT 000340414800039
BP 3926
EP 3947
DI 10.1002/2013JC009632
ID 30819
ER

EF