Role of the Kelvin and Rossby waves in the seasonal cycle of the equatorial Pacific Ocean circulation

Abstract

The dynamics of the seasonal cycle of the equatorial Pacific Ocean circulation are investigated in a hindcast study generated by the Poseidon quasi‐isopycnal general ocean circulation model forced by wind stress from a Special Sensor Microwave Imager product and heat flux from an atmospheric mixed layer model. The simulated annual and semi‐annual oscillations are validated by the Tropical Atmosphere‐Ocean mooring measurements and the altimetry sea levels on the equator, based on which the roles of the equatorial Kelvin and Rossby waves in the seasonal cycle dynamics are investigated. The Kelvin and Rossby waves are extracted from the hindcast in such a way as to treat the model zonal nonlinear momentum terms and wind stress as forcing terms so that the validity of the linear theory on wave propagation and reflection can be examined. It is found that the reflections of the first baroclinic mode waves at the Pacific western and eastern boundaries are in good agreement with the linear theory. In comparison, the reflections of the second and higher baroclinic mode waves are significantly different from the linear theory, suggesting that the reflections are potentially nonlinear. The hindcast has simulated the westward propagation of the dominant annual oscillations of the seasonal sea level in the central basin and the eastward propagation of the dominant semi‐annual oscillations of the seasonal sea level in the western and eastern basins successfully. The westward propagation of the annual oscillations is primarily associated with the annual Rossby waves forced by the annual winds in the eastern‐to‐central equatorial Pacific, the upwelling phase of which forces progressive springtime reversal of the surface zonal currents from the east to the west. However, the internal dynamics of the ocean alter the amplitudes and phases of the springtime reversal significantly. The results of this study have shown that the internal dynamics of the ocean are an important source of the semi‐annual oscillations in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The semi‐annual harmonics of the Rossby waves are boosted by the internal dynamics and eventually dominate the seasonal cycle in the far western Pacific. The reflections of the Rossby waves at the western boundary produce semi‐annual dominant Kelvin waves, which force significant semi‐annual oscillations of sea level in the eastern basin.