Observed seasonal variability of barrier layer in the Bay of Bengal

Abstract

The observed formation of barrier layer (BL) and the seasonal variability of BL thickness (BLT) in the Bay of Bengal are examined utilizing the most comprehensive data set. Thick BL (∼40 m) first appears in the coastal region of the northeastern bay in June and spreads westward as the summer monsoon progresses. Along the east coast of India the BL formation and its variability are controlled by the East India Coastal Current (EICC). Thick BL (∼50 m) appears along the east coast of India in November when the EICC flows equatorward and gets spatially organized by December. By January it weakens when the EICC reverses. The mature phase of BLT, both in amplitude (∼60 m) and in spatial extent occurs during February, when the Subtropical Anticyclonic Gyre (SAG) is well established in the bay. During both the summer and winter monsoon seasons the surface circulation and the redistribution of low saline waters show a dominant influence on the observed BLT distribution. Other processes such as Ekman pumping and propagating Rossby waves forced by the propagating Kelvin waves along the eastern boundary also contribute significantly in modulating its variability. The annual mode of BLT shows maxima during November–December, whereas the semiannual mode peaks during February–March and August–September. The peak in February–March is attributed to the interior Ekman pumping and the associated convergence in the central bay, whereas the peak during August–September is due to the westward propagating downwelling Rossby waves from the eastern boundary.