The structure of the upper ocean, atmosphere and heat fluxes - Tropical Indian Ocean

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dc.contributor.advisorJury, Mark Ren_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorLutjeharms, Johann R Een_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorRouault, Mathieuen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMajodina, Marken_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-04-01T06:57:48Z
dc.date.available2016-04-01T06:57:48Z
dc.date.issued1998en_ZA
dc.description.abstractSea surface temperatures in the tropical Indian Ocean have been shown to be inversely related to South African summer rainfall, making advanced predictions of this rainfall practicable. Such predictability has enormous potential economic benefits. However, these predictions have been purely statistical; very little is currently known about the marine-atmospheric processes in the Indian Ocean tropics. To address this lack of information, the structure of the upper ocean and lower atmosphere as well as the surface heat fluxes in the tropical Indian Ocean have been investigated. This was done by a special measurement programme on a research cruise in the region. Global gridded meteorological data have been used to complement the shipboard observations. Heat fluxes have been computed from the cruise observations and related to the main atmospheric patterns at the time. These patterns were identified from principal components analysis. Air-sea interaction could thus be estimated over the full tropical Indian Ocean. It is found that the thermocline depth is linked to the cyclonic ocean current shear and to the overlying distribution of wind stress curl. The meridional advection of air into the central Indian Ocean region is shown to modulate the characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer in the tropical Indian Ocean. The maximum turbulent heat and moisture transports to the atmosphere are found near cyclonic atmospheric disturbances. These are the first reliable observations of the heat and moisture fluxes in that part of the tropical Indian Ocean implicated in South African rainfall. It is clear from this investigation that the synoptic atmospheric systems and the meridional flow of air are critical to enhanced atmospheric convection in the region.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationMajodina, M. (1998). <i>The structure of the upper ocean, atmosphere and heat fluxes - Tropical Indian Ocean</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Oceanography. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18489en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationMajodina, Mark. <i>"The structure of the upper ocean, atmosphere and heat fluxes - Tropical Indian Ocean."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Oceanography, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18489en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMajodina, M. 1998. The structure of the upper ocean, atmosphere and heat fluxes - Tropical Indian Ocean. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Majodina, Mark AB - Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Indian Ocean have been shown to be inversely related to South African summer rainfall, making advanced predictions of this rainfall practicable. Such predictability has enormous potential economic benefits. However, these predictions have been purely statistical; very little is currently known about the marine-atmospheric processes in the Indian Ocean tropics. To address this lack of information, the structure of the upper ocean and lower atmosphere as well as the surface heat fluxes in the tropical Indian Ocean have been investigated. This was done by a special measurement programme on a research cruise in the region. Global gridded meteorological data have been used to complement the shipboard observations. Heat fluxes have been computed from the cruise observations and related to the main atmospheric patterns at the time. These patterns were identified from principal components analysis. Air-sea interaction could thus be estimated over the full tropical Indian Ocean. It is found that the thermocline depth is linked to the cyclonic ocean current shear and to the overlying distribution of wind stress curl. The meridional advection of air into the central Indian Ocean region is shown to modulate the characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer in the tropical Indian Ocean. The maximum turbulent heat and moisture transports to the atmosphere are found near cyclonic atmospheric disturbances. These are the first reliable observations of the heat and moisture fluxes in that part of the tropical Indian Ocean implicated in South African rainfall. It is clear from this investigation that the synoptic atmospheric systems and the meridional flow of air are critical to enhanced atmospheric convection in the region. DA - 1998 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1998 T1 - The structure of the upper ocean, atmosphere and heat fluxes - Tropical Indian Ocean TI - The structure of the upper ocean, atmosphere and heat fluxes - Tropical Indian Ocean UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18489 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/18489
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationMajodina M. The structure of the upper ocean, atmosphere and heat fluxes - Tropical Indian Ocean. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Oceanography, 1998 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18489en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Oceanographyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherOceanographyen_ZA
dc.titleThe structure of the upper ocean, atmosphere and heat fluxes - Tropical Indian Oceanen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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