Oceanic response to the consecutive Hurricanes Dorian and Humberto (2019) in the Sargasso Sea
<p>Understanding the oceanic response to tropical cyclones (TCs) is of importance for studies on climate change. Although the oceanic effects induced by individual TCs have been extensively investigated, studies on the oceanic response to the passage of consecutive TCs are rare. In this work,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/21/837/2021/nhess-21-837-2021.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818870123276009472 |
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| author | D. Avila-Alonso D. Avila-Alonso J. M. Baetens R. Cardenas B. De Baets |
| author_facet | D. Avila-Alonso D. Avila-Alonso J. M. Baetens R. Cardenas B. De Baets |
| author_sort | D. Avila-Alonso |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Understanding the oceanic response to tropical cyclones (TCs) is of importance for studies on climate change. Although the oceanic effects induced by individual TCs have been extensively investigated, studies on the oceanic response to the passage of consecutive TCs are rare. In this work, we assess the upper-oceanic response to the passage of Hurricanes Dorian and Humberto over the western Sargasso Sea in 2019 using satellite remote sensing and modelled data. We found that the combined effects of these slow-moving TCs led to an increased oceanic response during the third and fourth post-storm weeks of Dorian (accounting for both Dorian and Humberto effects) because of the induced mixing and upwelling at this time. Overall, anomalies of sea surface temperature, ocean heat content, and mean temperature from the sea surface to a depth of 100 m were 50 %, 63 %, and 57 % smaller (more negative) in the third–fourth post-storm weeks than in the first–second post-storm weeks of Dorian (accounting only for Dorian effects), respectively. For the biological response, we found that surface chlorophyll <span class="inline-formula"><i>a</i></span> (chl <span class="inline-formula"><i>a</i></span>) concentration anomalies, the mean chl <span class="inline-formula"><i>a</i></span> concentration in the euphotic zone, and the chl <span class="inline-formula"><i>a</i></span> concentration in the deep chlorophyll maximum were 16 %, 4 %, and 16 % higher in the third–fourth post-storm weeks than in the first–second post-storm weeks, respectively. The sea surface cooling and increased biological response induced by these TCs were significantly higher (Mann–Whitney test, <span class="inline-formula"><i>p</i><0.05</span>) compared to climatological records. Our climatological analysis reveals that the strongest TC-induced oceanographic variability in the western Sargasso Sea can be associated with the occurrence of consecutive TCs and long-lasting TC forcing.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T12:02:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8743a1a7cc82475caa119d9e18d6671d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1561-8633 1684-9981 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T12:02:01Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-8743a1a7cc82475caa119d9e18d6671d2022-12-21T20:22:28ZengCopernicus PublicationsNatural Hazards and Earth System Sciences1561-86331684-99812021-03-012183785910.5194/nhess-21-837-2021Oceanic response to the consecutive Hurricanes Dorian and Humberto (2019) in the Sargasso SeaD. Avila-Alonso0D. Avila-Alonso1J. M. Baetens2R. Cardenas3B. De Baets4Laboratory of Planetary Science, Department of Physics, Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas, 54830, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, CubaKERMIT, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumKERMIT, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumLaboratory of Planetary Science, Department of Physics, Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas, 54830, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, CubaKERMIT, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium<p>Understanding the oceanic response to tropical cyclones (TCs) is of importance for studies on climate change. Although the oceanic effects induced by individual TCs have been extensively investigated, studies on the oceanic response to the passage of consecutive TCs are rare. In this work, we assess the upper-oceanic response to the passage of Hurricanes Dorian and Humberto over the western Sargasso Sea in 2019 using satellite remote sensing and modelled data. We found that the combined effects of these slow-moving TCs led to an increased oceanic response during the third and fourth post-storm weeks of Dorian (accounting for both Dorian and Humberto effects) because of the induced mixing and upwelling at this time. Overall, anomalies of sea surface temperature, ocean heat content, and mean temperature from the sea surface to a depth of 100 m were 50 %, 63 %, and 57 % smaller (more negative) in the third–fourth post-storm weeks than in the first–second post-storm weeks of Dorian (accounting only for Dorian effects), respectively. For the biological response, we found that surface chlorophyll <span class="inline-formula"><i>a</i></span> (chl <span class="inline-formula"><i>a</i></span>) concentration anomalies, the mean chl <span class="inline-formula"><i>a</i></span> concentration in the euphotic zone, and the chl <span class="inline-formula"><i>a</i></span> concentration in the deep chlorophyll maximum were 16 %, 4 %, and 16 % higher in the third–fourth post-storm weeks than in the first–second post-storm weeks, respectively. The sea surface cooling and increased biological response induced by these TCs were significantly higher (Mann–Whitney test, <span class="inline-formula"><i>p</i><0.05</span>) compared to climatological records. Our climatological analysis reveals that the strongest TC-induced oceanographic variability in the western Sargasso Sea can be associated with the occurrence of consecutive TCs and long-lasting TC forcing.</p>https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/21/837/2021/nhess-21-837-2021.pdf |
| spellingShingle | D. Avila-Alonso D. Avila-Alonso J. M. Baetens R. Cardenas B. De Baets Oceanic response to the consecutive Hurricanes Dorian and Humberto (2019) in the Sargasso Sea Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| title | Oceanic response to the consecutive Hurricanes Dorian and Humberto (2019) in the Sargasso Sea |
| title_full | Oceanic response to the consecutive Hurricanes Dorian and Humberto (2019) in the Sargasso Sea |
| title_fullStr | Oceanic response to the consecutive Hurricanes Dorian and Humberto (2019) in the Sargasso Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Oceanic response to the consecutive Hurricanes Dorian and Humberto (2019) in the Sargasso Sea |
| title_short | Oceanic response to the consecutive Hurricanes Dorian and Humberto (2019) in the Sargasso Sea |
| title_sort | oceanic response to the consecutive hurricanes dorian and humberto 2019 in the sargasso sea |
| url | https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/21/837/2021/nhess-21-837-2021.pdf |
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