Dynamics of the Summer Counter‐Wind Current Along South Sri Lanka Coast 1: The Dominant Role of Intra‐Seasonal Variability
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The spatiotemporal characteristics of the south Sri Lanka coastal current (SSLCC) during summer are examined in this study. Climatologically, the SSLCC flows eastward as a part of the southwest monsoon current during summer. However, westward SSLCC occurred lasting more than 20 days in the summer of 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2018 based on reanalysis data, implying significant interannual variability of the SSLCC. The analysis on the summer extreme westward SSLCC indicates that the intra‐seasonal wind associated with atmospheric boreal summer intra‐seasonal oscillation (BSISO) is the main factor leading to the westward SSLCC. Firstly, the northward propagation of the BSISO induces the westerly wind anomaly and positive wind stress curl anomaly along the south and east coast of Sri Lanka, which induces the westward SSLCC. Secondly, driven by equatorial Indian Ocean intra‐seasonal wind, the low sea level anomaly associated with upwelling Rossby wave reflected from the west coast of Sumatra Island propagates westward. This propagation significantly influences the cyclonic circulation off the south coast of Sri Lanka, thus facilitating the occurrence of the westward SSLCC.
DOI: 10.1029/2023jc020618
Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, South China Sea Institute Of Oceanology, Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, University of Colorado Boulder, National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency
Language: English
Subfield: Oceanography
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,880
OpenAlex ID: W4402489099