Reviews and syntheses: Physical and biogeochemical processes associated with upwelling in the Indian Ocean

<p>The Indian Ocean presents two distinct climate regimes. The north Indian Ocean is dominated by the monsoons, whereas the seasonal reversal is less pronounced in the south. The prevailing wind pattern produces upwelling along different parts of the coast in both hemispheres during different...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: P. N. M. Vinayachandran, Y. Masumoto, M. J. Roberts, J. A. Huggett, I. Halo, A. Chatterjee, P. Amol, G. V. M. Gupta, A. Singh, A. Mukherjee, S. Prakash, L. E. Beckley, E. J. Raes, R. Hood
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2021-11-01
Series:Biogeosciences
Online Access:https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/18/5967/2021/bg-18-5967-2021.pdf
_version_ 1818833827531849728
author P. N. M. Vinayachandran
Y. Masumoto
Y. Masumoto
M. J. Roberts
M. J. Roberts
J. A. Huggett
J. A. Huggett
I. Halo
I. Halo
A. Chatterjee
P. Amol
G. V. M. Gupta
A. Singh
A. Mukherjee
S. Prakash
L. E. Beckley
E. J. Raes
R. Hood
author_facet P. N. M. Vinayachandran
Y. Masumoto
Y. Masumoto
M. J. Roberts
M. J. Roberts
J. A. Huggett
J. A. Huggett
I. Halo
I. Halo
A. Chatterjee
P. Amol
G. V. M. Gupta
A. Singh
A. Mukherjee
S. Prakash
L. E. Beckley
E. J. Raes
R. Hood
author_sort P. N. M. Vinayachandran
collection DOAJ
description <p>The Indian Ocean presents two distinct climate regimes. The north Indian Ocean is dominated by the monsoons, whereas the seasonal reversal is less pronounced in the south. The prevailing wind pattern produces upwelling along different parts of the coast in both hemispheres during different times of the year. Additionally, dynamical processes and eddies either cause or enhance upwelling. This paper reviews the phenomena of upwelling along the coast of the Indian Ocean extending from the tip of South Africa to the southern tip of the west coast of Australia. Observed features, underlying mechanisms, and the impact of upwelling on the ecosystem are presented.</p> <p>In the Agulhas Current region, cyclonic eddies associated with Natal pulses drive slope upwelling and enhance chlorophyll concentrations along the continental margin. The Durban break-away eddy spun up by the Agulhas upwells cold nutrient-rich water. Additionally, topographically induced upwelling occurs along the inshore edges of the Agulhas Current. Wind-driven coastal upwelling occurs along the south coast of Africa and augments the dynamical upwelling in the Agulhas Current. Upwelling hotspots along the Mozambique coast are present in the northern and southern sectors of the channel and are ascribed to dynamical effects of ocean circulation in addition to wind forcing.<span id="page5968"/> Interaction of mesoscale eddies with the western boundary, dipole eddy pair interactions, and passage of cyclonic eddies cause upwelling. Upwelling along the southern coast of Madagascar is caused by the Ekman wind-driven mechanism and by eddy generation and is inhibited by the Southwest Madagascar Coastal Current. Seasonal upwelling along the East African coast is primarily driven by the northeast monsoon winds and enhanced by topographically induced shelf breaking and shear instability between the East African Coastal Current and the island chains. The Somali coast presents a strong case for the classical Ekman type of upwelling; such upwelling can be inhibited by the arrival of deeper thermocline signals generated in the offshore region by wind stress curl. Upwelling is nearly uniform along the coast of Arabia, caused by the alongshore component of the summer monsoon winds and modulated by the arrival of Rossby waves generated in the offshore region by cyclonic wind stress curl. Along the west coast of India, upwelling is driven by coastally trapped waves together with the alongshore component of the monsoon winds. Along the southern tip of India and Sri Lanka, the strong Ekman transport drives upwelling. Upwelling along the east coast of India is weak and occurs during summer, caused by alongshore winds. In addition, mesoscale eddies lead to upwelling, but the arrival of river water plumes inhibits upwelling along this coast. Southeasterly winds drive upwelling along the coast of Sumatra and Java during summer, with Kelvin wave propagation originating from the equatorial Indian Ocean affecting the magnitude and extent of the upwelling. Both El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events cause large variability in upwelling here. Along the west coast of Australia, which is characterized by the anomalous Leeuwin Current, southerly winds can cause sporadic upwelling, which is prominent along the southwest, central, and Gascoyne coasts during summer. Open-ocean upwelling in the southern tropical Indian Ocean and within the Sri Lanka Dome is driven primarily by the wind stress curl but is also impacted by Rossby wave propagations.</p> <p>Upwelling is a key driver enhancing biological productivity in all sectors of the coast, as indicated by enhanced sea surface chlorophyll concentrations. Additional knowledge at varying levels has been gained through in situ observations and model simulations. In the Mozambique Channel, upwelling simulates new production and circulation redistributes the production generated by upwelling and mesoscale eddies, leading to observations of higher ecosystem impacts along the edges of eddies. Similarly, along the southern Madagascar coast, biological connectivity is influenced by the transport of phytoplankton from upwelling zones. Along the coast of Kenya, both productivity rates and zooplankton biomass are higher during the upwelling season. Along the Somali coast, accumulation of upwelled nutrients in the northern part of the coast leads to spatial heterogeneity in productivity. In contrast, productivity is more uniform along the coasts of Yemen and Oman. Upwelling along the west coast of India has several biogeochemical implications, including oxygen depletion, denitrification, and high production of CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span> and dimethyl sulfide. Although weak, wind-driven upwelling leads to significant enhancement of phytoplankton in the northwest Bay of Bengal during the summer monsoon. Along the Sumatra and Java coasts, upwelling affects the phytoplankton composition and assemblages. Dissimilarities in copepod assemblages occur during the upwelling periods along the west coast of Australia. Phytoplankton abundance characterizes inshore edges of the slope during upwelling season, and upwelling eddies are associated with krill abundance.</p> <p>The review identifies the northern coast of the Arabian Sea and eastern coasts of the Bay of Bengal as the least observed sectors. Additionally, sustained long-term observations with high temporal and spatial resolutions along with high-resolution modelling efforts are recommended for a deeper understanding of upwelling, its variability, and its impact on the ecosystem.</p>
first_indexed 2024-12-19T02:25:07Z
format Article
id doaj.art-2eb8683cb2b14c1ba816cbc8add9b61d
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1726-4170
1726-4189
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-19T02:25:07Z
publishDate 2021-11-01
publisher Copernicus Publications
record_format Article
series Biogeosciences
spelling doaj.art-2eb8683cb2b14c1ba816cbc8add9b61d2022-12-21T20:39:57ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892021-11-01185967602910.5194/bg-18-5967-2021Reviews and syntheses: Physical and biogeochemical processes associated with upwelling in the Indian OceanP. N. M. Vinayachandran0Y. Masumoto1Y. Masumoto2M. J. Roberts3M. J. Roberts4J. A. Huggett5J. A. Huggett6I. Halo7I. Halo8A. Chatterjee9P. Amol10G. V. M. Gupta11A. Singh12A. Mukherjee13S. Prakash14L. E. Beckley15E. J. Raes16R. Hood17Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, IndiaGraduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, JapanApplication Laboratory, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Kanagawa, 236-0001, JapanNelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South AfricaNational Oceanography Centre, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UKOceans and Coasts Research, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Private Bag X4390, Cape Town 8000, South AfricaDepartment of Biological Sciences and Marine Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South AfricaOceans and Coasts Research, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Private Bag X4390, Cape Town 8000, South AfricaDepartment of Conservation and Marine Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 652, Cape Town 8000, South AfricaIndian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Hyderabad, 500090, IndiaCSIR–National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre, Visakhapatnam, 530017, IndiaCentre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Kochi, 682508, IndiaPhysical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, 380009, IndiaNational Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Goa, 403803, IndiaIndian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Hyderabad, 500090, IndiaEnvironmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia 6150, AustraliaFlourishing Oceans, Minderoo Foundation, P.O. Box 3155, Broadway Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, AustraliaUniversity of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, MD, USA<p>The Indian Ocean presents two distinct climate regimes. The north Indian Ocean is dominated by the monsoons, whereas the seasonal reversal is less pronounced in the south. The prevailing wind pattern produces upwelling along different parts of the coast in both hemispheres during different times of the year. Additionally, dynamical processes and eddies either cause or enhance upwelling. This paper reviews the phenomena of upwelling along the coast of the Indian Ocean extending from the tip of South Africa to the southern tip of the west coast of Australia. Observed features, underlying mechanisms, and the impact of upwelling on the ecosystem are presented.</p> <p>In the Agulhas Current region, cyclonic eddies associated with Natal pulses drive slope upwelling and enhance chlorophyll concentrations along the continental margin. The Durban break-away eddy spun up by the Agulhas upwells cold nutrient-rich water. Additionally, topographically induced upwelling occurs along the inshore edges of the Agulhas Current. Wind-driven coastal upwelling occurs along the south coast of Africa and augments the dynamical upwelling in the Agulhas Current. Upwelling hotspots along the Mozambique coast are present in the northern and southern sectors of the channel and are ascribed to dynamical effects of ocean circulation in addition to wind forcing.<span id="page5968"/> Interaction of mesoscale eddies with the western boundary, dipole eddy pair interactions, and passage of cyclonic eddies cause upwelling. Upwelling along the southern coast of Madagascar is caused by the Ekman wind-driven mechanism and by eddy generation and is inhibited by the Southwest Madagascar Coastal Current. Seasonal upwelling along the East African coast is primarily driven by the northeast monsoon winds and enhanced by topographically induced shelf breaking and shear instability between the East African Coastal Current and the island chains. The Somali coast presents a strong case for the classical Ekman type of upwelling; such upwelling can be inhibited by the arrival of deeper thermocline signals generated in the offshore region by wind stress curl. Upwelling is nearly uniform along the coast of Arabia, caused by the alongshore component of the summer monsoon winds and modulated by the arrival of Rossby waves generated in the offshore region by cyclonic wind stress curl. Along the west coast of India, upwelling is driven by coastally trapped waves together with the alongshore component of the monsoon winds. Along the southern tip of India and Sri Lanka, the strong Ekman transport drives upwelling. Upwelling along the east coast of India is weak and occurs during summer, caused by alongshore winds. In addition, mesoscale eddies lead to upwelling, but the arrival of river water plumes inhibits upwelling along this coast. Southeasterly winds drive upwelling along the coast of Sumatra and Java during summer, with Kelvin wave propagation originating from the equatorial Indian Ocean affecting the magnitude and extent of the upwelling. Both El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events cause large variability in upwelling here. Along the west coast of Australia, which is characterized by the anomalous Leeuwin Current, southerly winds can cause sporadic upwelling, which is prominent along the southwest, central, and Gascoyne coasts during summer. Open-ocean upwelling in the southern tropical Indian Ocean and within the Sri Lanka Dome is driven primarily by the wind stress curl but is also impacted by Rossby wave propagations.</p> <p>Upwelling is a key driver enhancing biological productivity in all sectors of the coast, as indicated by enhanced sea surface chlorophyll concentrations. Additional knowledge at varying levels has been gained through in situ observations and model simulations. In the Mozambique Channel, upwelling simulates new production and circulation redistributes the production generated by upwelling and mesoscale eddies, leading to observations of higher ecosystem impacts along the edges of eddies. Similarly, along the southern Madagascar coast, biological connectivity is influenced by the transport of phytoplankton from upwelling zones. Along the coast of Kenya, both productivity rates and zooplankton biomass are higher during the upwelling season. Along the Somali coast, accumulation of upwelled nutrients in the northern part of the coast leads to spatial heterogeneity in productivity. In contrast, productivity is more uniform along the coasts of Yemen and Oman. Upwelling along the west coast of India has several biogeochemical implications, including oxygen depletion, denitrification, and high production of CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span> and dimethyl sulfide. Although weak, wind-driven upwelling leads to significant enhancement of phytoplankton in the northwest Bay of Bengal during the summer monsoon. Along the Sumatra and Java coasts, upwelling affects the phytoplankton composition and assemblages. Dissimilarities in copepod assemblages occur during the upwelling periods along the west coast of Australia. Phytoplankton abundance characterizes inshore edges of the slope during upwelling season, and upwelling eddies are associated with krill abundance.</p> <p>The review identifies the northern coast of the Arabian Sea and eastern coasts of the Bay of Bengal as the least observed sectors. Additionally, sustained long-term observations with high temporal and spatial resolutions along with high-resolution modelling efforts are recommended for a deeper understanding of upwelling, its variability, and its impact on the ecosystem.</p>https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/18/5967/2021/bg-18-5967-2021.pdf
spellingShingle P. N. M. Vinayachandran
Y. Masumoto
Y. Masumoto
M. J. Roberts
M. J. Roberts
J. A. Huggett
J. A. Huggett
I. Halo
I. Halo
A. Chatterjee
P. Amol
G. V. M. Gupta
A. Singh
A. Mukherjee
S. Prakash
L. E. Beckley
E. J. Raes
R. Hood
Reviews and syntheses: Physical and biogeochemical processes associated with upwelling in the Indian Ocean
Biogeosciences
title Reviews and syntheses: Physical and biogeochemical processes associated with upwelling in the Indian Ocean
title_full Reviews and syntheses: Physical and biogeochemical processes associated with upwelling in the Indian Ocean
title_fullStr Reviews and syntheses: Physical and biogeochemical processes associated with upwelling in the Indian Ocean
title_full_unstemmed Reviews and syntheses: Physical and biogeochemical processes associated with upwelling in the Indian Ocean
title_short Reviews and syntheses: Physical and biogeochemical processes associated with upwelling in the Indian Ocean
title_sort reviews and syntheses physical and biogeochemical processes associated with upwelling in the indian ocean
url https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/18/5967/2021/bg-18-5967-2021.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT pnmvinayachandran reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT ymasumoto reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT ymasumoto reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT mjroberts reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT mjroberts reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT jahuggett reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT jahuggett reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT ihalo reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT ihalo reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT achatterjee reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT pamol reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT gvmgupta reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT asingh reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT amukherjee reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT sprakash reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT lebeckley reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT ejraes reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean
AT rhood reviewsandsynthesesphysicalandbiogeochemicalprocessesassociatedwithupwellingintheindianocean