Observed oceanic response to Tropical Cyclone Amphan (2020) from a subsurface mooring in the Bay of Bengal

Abstract

Upper ocean responses to the super Tropical Cyclone (TC) Amphan and modulation of energy dissipation by internal tides were investigated using in situ observations from a subsurface mooring in Bay of Bengal (BoB). The observations showed that the entire observed water column (150–800 m) cooled significantly, up to a maximum of 2 ℃, and salinity increased significantly at 150–200 m within one week after the TC, mainly due to the TC-induced upwelling. Dynamic response was characterized by strong near-inertial oscillation above 120 m. The near inertial waves (NIWs) had a maximum velocity and kinetic energy at 112.6 m, about 0.34 m/s and 59.5 J/m3, respectively. The energy spectrum and bicoherence analysis indicated that, the nonlinear wave-wave interaction between NIWs (f) and semi-diurnal tide (D2), as well as the self-interaction of NIWs were enhanced after the passage of TC. The nonlinear wave-wave interaction processes were able to transfer energy to higher mode internal waves, thus accelerating energy attenuation. Hence, the observed e-folding time for near-inertial kinetic energy (6.2 days) was only 41 % of the theoretical e-folding time. This study provided a new evidence for the mechanism of energy dissipation of NIWs and semi-diurnal tide during a TC condition in the southern BoB.