Influence of the Madden-Julian Oscillation on sea surface salinity in the Indian Ocean

Abstract

[1] Using satellite measurements of Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) and Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) reanalysis, the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) influence on Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) across the Indian Ocean is examined. The SSS pattern during different stages of the MJO propagation across the Indian Ocean are analyzed conditioned on season and phase of the El Nino – Southern Oscillation. The processes through which the SSS patterns develop depend upon anomalous atmospheric conditions and oceanic processes during the different stages of the MJO. The combinations of anomalous conditions during each stage of the MJO with seasonal and long-term climate variations create different responses in SSS. The SSS variability during the MJO may produce numerous indirect feedbacks, which are the result of SSS altering the depth of the Barrier Layer (BL) and mixed layer. Satellite salinity measurements will enhance our knowledge of the SSS variability during different stages of the MJO propagation.