U.S. Dept. of Commerce / NOAA / OAR / PMEL / Publications
Zonal heat advection can be estimated from the moored velocity data at 110°W
(Figure 5) and a measure of the zonal temperature
gradient, T.
(7)
The vertically averaged zonal velocity of the mixed layer is u. This
velocity was estimated using the gridded, low-pass-filtered time series shown
in Figure 5b, using the mixed layer depth
shown in Figure 5a. A time series of T
was estimated from the moored temperature measurements at 110°W and 140°W (the
140°W time series are discussed in MH). Since the local temperature gradient
at 110°W may be poorly estimated by this large-scale temperature difference,
we also computed the zonal heat advection assuming a constant T
= -6.6 × 10
°C km
which is the time averaged gradient between 110°W and 140°W observed by the
moored array. The time series of the two estimates of zonal advection are shown
in Figure 6b. There is little difference
between the constant and time-varying T
cases, indicating that most of the change in zonal advection is associated with
zonal velocity fluctuations. It should be noted that uncertainty in the zonal
temperature gradient can affect the amplitude but is unlikely to affect the
direction of the zonal heat advection. On the time scales considered here, SST
increases to the west.
In boreal spring (March-May) the normally westward surface current in the eastern
Pacific reverses (Figure 5) and warm water is
advected into the region. This eastward current nearly coincides with the maximum
SST; hence the change in mixed layer heating (Figure
6a) and the zonal heat advection tend to be out of phase. In January-February
of each year, the mixed layer was warming while the zonal advection was tending
to export heat from the region. This effect was particularly pronounced in December
1986 to April 1987, when the heat content of the mixed layer was increasing
by up to 100 W m (in January) and the zonal
advection was persistently trying to cool the region. In April 1987, SST reached
a maximum and the mixed layer heat content began to decrease; at this time the
zonal surface current switched direction and the advective heat flux was warming
the eastern Pacific.
The only extended period when mixed layer heating and zonal advection were
in phase was in August to December 1986, during the onset of warm conditions
in the eastern Pacific. MH pointed out that the zonal surface current during
this period was anomalously weak (although still westward) and could contribute
towards the development of an SST anomaly by reduced cooling. The mixed layer
at this time was at its deepest level (Figure 5
a) and the vertically averaged mixed layer velocity was actually eastward.
This contributed to the observed warming; however, the total rate of mixed layer
heating was far greater than could be accounted for by zonal advection alone.
On average, the mean zonal advective heat flux was -3.5 W m
and the standard deviation was 15 W m
.
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