Ocean Circulation Model Hindcasts of the 1982-83 El Niño: Thermal Variability along the Ship-of-Opportunity Tracks

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Abstract Five different analyses of 1982–83 monthly average surface wind stress fields have been used to force an ocean general circulation model of the tropical Pacific, in a series of El Nino hindcast experiments, like the one reported by Philander and Seigel. Although there were prominent common departures from climatology in the surface wind stress field during 1982–83 according to each wind analysis, there are also very substantial differences between analyses. This study was done to investigate the sensitivity of such hindcasts to our uncertain knowledge of the surface wind stress field. We concentrate here on the behavior along the Pacific ship-of-opportunity tracks. According to the ship-of-opportunity XBT data, the ocean underwent major changes during this period. The vertical temperature gradients and mixed layer temperatures, as well as the depth of the thermocline, underwent substantial changes. There were also major changes in the geostrophic flow of the major current systems, as revealed by ...