Effect Of Wind Stress Research Articles

The effect of alongshore wind stress on a buoyancy current’s stability

Buoyancy fronts reach from the surface to the bottom over continental shelves, separating light inshore water from denser offshore water, and are known to be responsive to Ekman transport (and associated return flow at depth) driven by alongshore winds. The consequent changes in frontal structure are clearly related to changes in the gravitational Available Potential Energy (APE), so it is reasonable to expect that these winds will affect the eddy field that results from baroclinic instabilities. Idealized numerical experiments and scaling analyses are brought to bear on this problem. It is found that several days of wind-driven downwelling (which creates more nearly vertical isopycnals) generally leads to an enhancement in the time maximum of volume-averaged Eddy Kinetic Energy (EKE). Upwelling-favorable winds (which tend to flatten isopycnals) usually lead to a decrease in APE, hence in eddy energy. The exception to this rule occurs when the winds are strong enough that an upwelling front forms inshore of the buoyant water, in which case APE and EKE may increase.

A Study of Wind Stress Effects on the Vertical Eddy Viscosity Coefficient Using the Ekman Model with Data Assimilation

The vertical eddy viscosity coefficient (VEVC) is an important parameter used in ocean dynamics studies to describe the intensity of mixing in the vertical direction and the process of momentum transport. In this paper, an adjoint assimilation method was used to invert the VEVC, based on the Ekman model, with the measured wind field and current data. The main purpose was to study the effect of changes in the background wind field on VEVC, and thus investigate the role of wind stress in the inversion process. The results indicated that the inverse vertical eddy viscosity coefficient increased slightly at the surface layer, reaching its maximum at around 10–12 m, and then decreased monotonically with depth. The maximum VEVC value corresponds to different depths for different wind speed ranges. Additionally, wind steering could affect the VEVC inversion curve, causing it to deviate from the general trend. The kinetic energy ratio increased with depth, peaked at 18–20 m, and then rapidly decreased to nearly zero beyond 24 m. The impact of wind field strength and steering on VEVC was observed in the kinetic energy ratio curve, which confirms the speculative wind stress effect. This study revealed the characteristics and mechanisms of VEVC in coastal waters under different wind conditions, which could provide a reference for further research on physical oceanography.

Wind work on oceanic mesoscale eddies in the Northeast Tropical Pacific Ocean

The transfer of atmospheric kinetic energy to the ocean is one of the major concerns in climate research. According to previous studies, the work of wind stress on oceanic mesoscale eddy is negative in most oceans, referred to as “eddy killing”. However, another recent work, finds that the wind work on an eddy varies with interaction time. To better understand the wind work on eddies, the present study uses satellite remote sensing wind stress data and eddy data from 2000 to 2021 to investigate the effects of wind stress on eddies in the northeast tropical Pacific (NETP). The study demonstrates that the work done by the wind stress on eddies in this region varies seasonally and that there is a strong spatiotemporal link between the work done and the wind stress curl. The work of wind stress with positive (negative) curl on the entire area of a cyclonic eddy is positive (negative), and vice versa on an anticyclonic eddy. These results indicate that wind energy input is sensitive to wind stress curl, and eddies do not always hinder wind energy input in this area.

Study on the Impact of Typhoon Maria (2018) on Suspended Sediment in Hangzhou Bay, China

Sediment transport in coastal waters has an important impact on the siltation of port channels and changes in the estuary ecological environment. The southeast coast of China is often hit by typhoons, which can affect the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in coastal waters. In this study, we used Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) data to analyze SSC variations in Hangzhou Bay during Typhoon Maria (2018), and the influencing factors were also analyzed. The results showed that: (1) During the typhoon’s transit, the SSC in Hangzhou Bay (HZB) increased by 200–800 mg/L, which was one-fold higher than the day before the typhoon. The variation of SSC on the south bank was noticeable, and the typhoon effect on SSC lasted for 2–3 days; (2) The wind speed and significant wave height (SWH) increased during the typhoon. In general, in the early stage of the typhoon, the SSC in HZB was affected by the wind, and in the interim and late period, SSC was influenced by the effect of wind and wave height; (3) Typhoon “Maria” accelerated the transport of sediment and land-based pollutants from land to sea; the effect of residual current and wind stress are the driving mechanisms for seaward sediment transport. However, mechanisms and driving factors of sediment transport in coast water are complex and diverse. The results of this study can help to understand the processes of riverbed erosion and deposition in Hangzhou Bay and adjacent waters. They are also significant for the study of nearshore hydrodynamic characteristics of typhoons and channel engineering.

Development of a Three-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Model Based on the Discontinuous Galerkin Method

Though the discontinuous Galerkin method is attracting more and more applications in many fields due to its local conservation, high-order accuracy, and flexibility for resolving complex geometries, only a few three-dimensional hydrodynamic models based on the discontinuous Galerkin method are present. In this study, a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model with a σ-coordinate system in the vertical direction is developed. This model is discretized in space using the discontinuous Galerkin method and advanced in time with the implicit-explicit Runge–Kutta method. Numerical tests indicate that the developed model is convergent and can obtain better results with a smaller computational time when a higher approximation order is adopted. Other tests with exact solutions also indicate that the developed model can well simulate the vertical circulation under the effect of surface wind stress and the flow under the combined effect of wind stress and Coriolis acceleration terms. The simulation results of tidal flow in part of Bohai Bay, China, indicate that the model can be used for the simulation of tidal wave motion in realistic situations.

Atmospheric Contributions to Global Ocean Tides for Satellite Gravimetry

AbstractTo mitigate temporal aliasing effects in monthly mean global gravity fields from the GRACE and GRACE‐FO satellite tandem missions, both tidal and non‐tidal background models describing high‐frequency mass variability in atmosphere and oceans are needed. To quantify tides in the atmosphere, we exploit the higher spatial (31 km) and temporal (1 hr) resolution provided by the latest atmospheric ECMWF reanalysis, ERA5. The oceanic response to atmospheric tides is subsequently modeled with the general ocean circulation model MPIOM (in a recently revised TP10L40 configuration that includes the feedback of self‐attraction and loading to the momentum equations and has an improved bathymetry around Antarctica) as well as the shallow water model TiME (employing a much higher spatial resolution and more elaborate tidal dissipation than MPIOM). Both ocean models consider jointly the effects of atmospheric pressure variations and surface wind stress. We present the characteristics of 16 waves beating at frequencies in the 1–6 cpd band and find that TiME typically outperforms the corresponding results from MPIOM and also FES2014b as measured from comparisons with tide gauge data. Moreover, we note improvements in GRACE‐FO laser ranging interferometer range‐acceleration pre‐fit residuals when employing the ocean tide solutions from TiME, in particular, for the S1 spectral line with most notable improvements around Australia, India, and the northern part of South America.

Interdecadal wind stress variability over the tropical Pacific causes ENSO diversity in an intermediate coupled model

The role of interdecadal wind stress variability in the genesis of ENSO diversity is examined by using an intermediate coupled model (ICM) in the tropical Pacific; two types of experiments are performed, one with the original ICM, and the other with interdecadal wind stress ( $${\uptau }_{interde}$$ ) effect being explicitly represented. The $${\uptau }_{interde}$$ component is derived from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset as follows. First, the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) is used to extract the interdecadal component of wind stress anomalies on about a 10–40 yr timescale. Next, an idealized interdecadal cycle of $${\uptau }_{interde}$$ is reconstructed by a principal oscillation pattern (POP) analysis based on the EEMD-extracted interdecadal wind component. A 110-yr model integration is then performed by explicitly incorporating the reconstructed $${\uptau }_{interde}$$ cycle into the ICM. Compared with the regular interannual oscillation in the original ICM, the simulated ENSO events become highly irregular with interdecadal variations in the amplitude and asymmetry when the $${\uptau }_{interde}$$ effect is included. Especially, the model reproduces two types of El Niño with different spatial distribution and temporal evolution of SST anomalies, namely Eastern-Pacific (EP) and Central-Pacific (CP) types. Further attribution analyses are performed to understand the modulating effects of $${\uptau }_{interde}$$ in the tropical Pacific using the ocean component of the ICM, forced by the added $${\uptau }_{interde}$$ effect. Two different roles of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) in modulating different types of El Niño are illustrated. On the one hand, the warm phase of IPO favors for the emergence of EP-El Niño events, in association with the initial warming signals occurring in the eastern equatorial Pacific, which are absent in the original ICM. On the other hand, the cold phase of IPO tends to shift the El Niño (i.e., the single type of El Niño in the original ICM) to an CP type, with which the SST anomalies propagate eastward along the equator but cannot extend into the eastern boundary. This simple modeling study highlights the significant contributions of interdecadal wind variability to the genesis of ENSO irregularity and diversity theoretically.

Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant responses of Microcoleus vaginatus with the aid of attapulgite-based nanocomposite to wind stress

ABSTRACT Wind erosion is one of the reasons for the formation of desertification in arid and semiarid areas. Many measures are used to achieve sustainable land management. Microcoleus vaginatus can influence and offer limited protection to soils from wind erosion through its impact on controlling threshold friction velocity. Therefore, the study aims to explore the effectiveness and anti-wind erosion ability of Microcoleus vaginatus with the aid of attapulgite-based nanocomposite and to find a method that can act as bioindicators for investigating wind erosion in arid and semiarid areas in the future, for offering a method to prevent desertification and provide a valuable measure for the sustainable development of the environment. In this study, the effects of wind stress on reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), glutathione (GSH) and the surface character of the soil were analysed. The results showed that increased ROS and MDA, decreased GSH, changed SOD, POD and CAT, and enhanced soil structure in Microcoleus vaginatus with the aid of attapulgite-based nanocomposites were influenced by 3 and 5 m·s−1 wind erosion. Further analysis demonstrated that increased SOD, POD and CAT and decreased GSH eliminated ROS and MDA through the antioxidant defense response of Microcoleus vaginatus with the aid of attapulgite-based nanocomposites. The results revealed that Microcoleus vaginatus with the aid of attapulgite-based nanocomposite had an important physiological adaptation for the elimination of ROS and lipid peroxidation induced by wind stress and could play a role in alleviating wind erosion.

Overlapping Boundary Layers in Coastal Oceans

Abstract Boundary layer turbulence in coastal regions differs from that in deep ocean because of bottom interactions. In this paper, we focus on the merging of surface and bottom boundary layers in a finite-depth coastal ocean by numerically solving the wave-averaged equations using a large-eddy simulation method. The ocean fluid is driven by combined effects of wind stress, surface wave, and a steady current in the presence of stable vertical stratification. The resulting flow consists of two overlapping boundary layers, i.e., surface and bottom boundary layers, separated by an interior stratification. The overlapping boundary layers evolve through three phases, i.e., a rapid deepening, an oscillatory equilibrium and a prompt merger, separated by two transitions. Before the merger, internal waves are observed in the stratified layer, and they are excited mainly by Langmuir turbulence in the surface boundary layer. These waves induce a clear modulation on the bottom-generated turbulence, facilitating the interaction between the surface and bottom boundary layers. After the merger, the Langmuir circulations originally confined to the surface layer are found to grow in size and extend down to the sea bottom (even though the surface waves do not feel the bottom), reminiscent of the well-organized Langmuir supercells. These full-depth Langmuir circulations promote the vertical mixing and enhance the bottom shear, leading to a significant enhancement of turbulence levels in the vertical column.

The Effect of Wind Stress on Seasonal Sea-Level Change on the Northwestern European Shelf

Abstract Projections of relative sea level change (RSLC) are commonly reported at an annual mean basis. The seasonality of RSLC is often not considered, even though it may modulate the impacts of annual mean RSLC. Here, we study seasonal differences in twenty-first-century ocean dynamic sea level change (DSLC; 2081–2100 minus 1995–2014) on the Northwestern European Shelf (NWES) and their drivers, using an ensemble of 33 CMIP6 models complemented with experiments performed with a regional ocean model. For the high-end emissions scenario SSP5–8.5, we find substantial seasonal differences in ensemble mean DSLC, especially in the southeastern North Sea. For example, at Esbjerg (Denmark), winter mean DSLC is on average 8.4 cm higher than summer mean DSLC. Along all coasts on the NWES, DSLC is higher in winter and spring than in summer and autumn. For the low-end emissions scenario SSP1–2.6, these seasonal differences are smaller. Our experiments indicate that the changes in winter and summer sea level anomalies are mainly driven by regional changes in wind stress anomalies, which are generally southwesterly and east-northeasterly over the NWES, respectively. In spring and autumn, regional wind stress changes play a smaller role. We also show that CMIP6 models not resolving currents through the English Channel cannot accurately simulate the effect of seasonal wind stress changes on the NWES. Our results imply that using projections of annual mean RSLC may underestimate the projected changes in extreme coastal sea levels in spring and winter. Additionally, changes in the seasonal sea level cycle may affect groundwater dynamics and the inundation characteristics of intertidal ecosystems.

Research Paper: The Effect of Wind Stress on Thermocline Development in Persian Gulf in Summer

خلیج فارس یک دریای نیمه بستۀکم عمق است که از طریق تنگۀهرمز به اقیانوس آزاد متصل می شود. ترموکلاین به صورت کاهش شدید دما با عمق در لایۀزیرسطحی در نتیجۀ طبقه بندی ستون آب در خلیج فارس به صورت فصلی روی می دهد. واداشت هایی از جمله باد شمال غربی بر این فرایند تأثیر دارند. در این مقاله، نتایج اندازه گیری های گشت تحقیقاتی مونت میشل 1992 و یک مطالعۀعددی (مدل اقیانوسی پرینستون POM) با تنش باد در دو حالت ثابت و میانگین ماهیانه به بررسی تشکیل و توسعۀترموکلاین تابستانه در خلیج فارس پرداخته می شود. نتایج مدل نشان می دهند که با باد متغیر ماهیانه، ترموکلاین مانند آنچه اندازه گیری های تابستان نشان می دهند، توسعه می یابد. به نظر می رسد تشکیل ترموکلاین اکسیژن محلول در ستون آب ناشی از کمبود اختلاط را در نتیجۀ چینه بندی آب ایجاد شده کاهش می دهد؛ البته تشکیل و توسعۀ ترموکلاین به صورت یک شیب سریع دما در ستون آب بر انتشار صوت به کار رفته در کاربرد ابزار آشکارسازی در دریا تأثیر دارد. رشد ترموکلاین در خلیج فارس از بهار به تابستان با سرعت بیشتری رخ می دهد که در برخی از منابع این تحقیق در خلیج فارس به این نتیجه رسیده اند. ضرایب همبستگی دما و شوری بین نتایج مدل و اندازه گیری ها به ترتیب 86/0 و 80/0 به دست آمده اند. در این مقاله نتایج تحقیق به دست آمده از مدل POM با اندازه گیری ها مقایسه می شود.

Distinct sources of interannual subtropical and subpolar Atlantic overturning variability

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is pivotal for regional and global climate due to its key role in the uptake and redistribution of heat and carbon. Establishing the causes of historical variability in AMOC strength on different timescales can tell us how the circulation may respond to natural and anthropogenic changes at the ocean surface. However, understanding observed AMOC variability is challenging because the circulation is influenced by multiple factors that co-vary and whose overlapping impacts persist for years. Here we reconstruct and unambiguously attribute intermonthly and interannual AMOC variability at two observational arrays to the recent history of surface wind stress, temperature and salinity. We use a state-of-the-art technique that computes space- and time-varying sensitivity patterns of the AMOC strength with respect to multiple surface properties from a numerical ocean circulation model constrained by observations. While, on interannual timescales, AMOC variability at 26° N is overwhelmingly dominated by a linear response to local wind stress, overturning variability at subpolar latitudes is generated by the combined effects of wind stress and surface buoyancy anomalies. Our analysis provides a quantitative attribution of subpolar AMOC variability to temperature, salinity and wind anomalies at the ocean surface.

A 2D numerical ocean model on the Coriolis and wind stress effects using Stochastics

Ocean basin is modeled as a two-dimensional closed, bounded domain in which the fluid flow is governed by the complex partial differential equations in the flow function. Keeping in view that the ocean currents are non-viscous, no normal flow conditions are used at the basin boundaries. The parameters investigated here are: Coriolis parameter, wind stress coefficient, and latitude. Stochastic differential equations in time scales are solved by deterministic and stochastic methods. Deterministic results concluded that streamlines are symmetric about stagnation point (no flow) for 0<Rp<6.57. Stochastic controls are introduced to account for variability in time scales. Euler-Maruyama (direct) and Fokker-Planck equation schemes (indirect) are proposed. It is concluded that stream functions in both direct and indirect methods are of the same qualitatively and quantitatively when 0<Rp<79.

On the analogy between rigid plate motion and mean momentum transfer in surface gravity waves

The transfer of mean momentum from surface gravity waves to Eulerian mean fluxes is investigated by modeling the total wave momentum (the Stokes flux) as a thin surface layer moving with the phase speed c of the waves and with a thickness Z derived from the divergence effect. The bulk of the fluid receiving momentum from the waves is modeled by a rigid lower layer acted upon by the virtual wave stress, where the latter is related to the form stress from the wind and the time rate of change in Z through −cdZ/dt. In addition, the effects of surface wind and bottom stress are included in the model. Through the combination with measurements, this robust model may yield information about the Eulerian fluxes when the ocean surface is covered by a combination of ice and oil, and the constitutive equations for the surface cover are not easily obtained.

Multidecadal Changes in Southern Ocean Ventilation since the 1960s Driven by Wind and Buoyancy Forcing

AbstractEnhanced Southern Ocean ventilation in recent decades has been suggested to be a relevant modulator of the observed changes in ocean heat and carbon uptake. This study focuses on the Southern Ocean midlatitude ventilation changes from the 1960s to the 2010s. A global 1/4° configuration of the NEMO–Louvain-la-Neuve sea ice model, version 2 (LIM2), including the inert tracer CFC-12 (a proxy of ocean ventilation) is forced with the CORE, phase II (CORE-II), and JRA-55 driving ocean (JRA55-do) atmospheric reanalyses. Sensitivity experiments, where the variability of wind stress and/or the buoyancy forcing is suppressed on interannual time scales, are used to unravel the mechanisms driving ventilation changes. Ventilation changes are estimated by comparing CFC-12 interior inventories among the different experiments. All simulations suggest a multidecadal fluctuation of Southern Ocean ventilation, with a decrease until the 1980s–90s and a subsequent increase. This evolution is related to the atmospheric forcing and is caused by the (often counteracting) effects of wind stress and buoyancy forcing. Until the 1980s, increased buoyancy gains caused the ventilation decrease, whereas the subsequent ventilation increase was driven by strengthened wind stress causing deeper mixed layers and a stronger meridional overturning circulation. Wind stress emerges as the main driver of ventilation changes, even though buoyancy forcing modulates its trend and decadal variability. The three Southern Ocean basins take up CFC-12 in distinct density intervals but overall respond similarly to the atmospheric forcing. This study suggests that Southern Ocean ventilation is expected to increase as long as the effect of increasing Southern Hemisphere wind stress overwhelms that of increased stratification.

The Effects of Surface Wind Stress and Buoyancy Flux on the Evolution of a Front in a Turbulent Thermal Wind Balance

Here we consider the effects of surface buoyancy flux and wind stress on a front in turbulent thermal wind (TTW) balance using the framework of Crowe and Taylor (2018). The changes in the velocity and density profiles induced by the wind stress and buoyancy flux interact with the TTW and can qualitatively change the evolution of the front. In the absence of surface-forcing, Crowe and Taylor (2018) found that shear dispersion associated with the TTW circulation causes the frontal width to increase. In many cases, the flow induced by the surface-forcing enhances the spreading rate. However, if the wind stress drives a cross-front flow which opposes the frontal buoyancy gradient or the buoyancy flux drives an unstable stratification, it is possible to obtain an up-gradient cross-front buoyancy flux, which can act to sharpen the front. In certain conditions, an equilibrium state develops where the tendency for the TTW circulation to spread the front is balanced by the frontogenetic tendency of the surface forces. We use numerical solutions to a nonlinear diffusion equation in order to test these predictions. Finally, we describe the connection between surface-forcing and vertical mixing and discuss typical parameters for mid-ocean fronts.

Relationship between the Persian Gulf Sea-Level Fluctuations and Meteorological Forcing

Sea-level data from six tide gauge stations along the northern coast of the Persian Gulf were analyzed both in time and frequency domain to evaluate meteorological forcing. Spectral analyses indicated that mixed, predominantly semi-diurnal tides were dominant at all stations, but low-frequency fluctuations correlated well with atmospheric pressure and wind components. Non-tidal sea-level fluctuations up to 0.75 m were observed along the northern coasts of the Gulf due to the combined action of lower atmospheric pressure and cross-shore wind. Coherency between low-frequency sea-level records and mean sea-level pressure indicated that the latter usually leads to sea-level fluctuations between 1 and 6.4 days. In contrast, the same analysis on the wind velocity and sea level revealed that the former lags between 3 and 13 days. The effect of wind stress on coastal sea-level variations was higher compared with the effect of atmospheric pressure. Concurrent analysis of low-pass-filtered sea-level records proved that the non-tidal wave moves from west to east along the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf.

Fringing Red Sea Corals Survival: Is It Tide or Local Wind?

In this paper, we obtain tidal constituents and discuss observations of tidal and wind variations and its impact on water surface elevation at Zaki’s Reef; a fringing coral reef located in the Red Sea-Gulf of Suez. This manuscript focuses on investigating if tidal forces are playing a key role to keep the area’s unique coral reefs alive and well. Determining the reasons why coral species and community of organisms found here survive despite all stressors is critical, and such information may hold the key to the preservation of reefs elsewhere. Phase and amplitude for 35 tidal constituents were deducted from observations of water surface elevation at the study site (first of its kind). The main tidal constituents based on their amplitudes are: M2, N2, S2, K1, NU2, K2, 2Ns, L2, and MU2. The first five tidal constituents of the aforementioned list are enough to reproduce accurate predictions of tides at this location (R2 variance = 87.54% and RMS = 0.167). The Tidal Form number (0.07) at Zaki’s Reef indicates a fully semidiurnal dominated tidal regime. Moreover, the Sa and Ssa constituents obtained from nearby stations made no improvements on tidal prediction results. Spectral analysis results of the white noise (residuals) from observed water surface elevation are dominated by daily frequency, suggesting that local wind plays a key role in circulation at study site. Local wind generated southerly long-shore and year-round offshore wind stress with a mean of -0.36 & 0.35 , respectively. The persistent longshore and offshore currents help transport oil patches/spills, from the two nearby ports, away from the reef. Yet, offshore wind stress, pushing water away from the shore, may cause more exposure of the reef to extreme atmospheric conditions. We hypothesize that the repeated reef exposure to the combined effect of tides and offshore wind stress over many years may have played a key role in selecting and then enhancing corals ability, through training, to become more adaptable to those harsh conditions. Training of corals over the years, may have led to the dominance of only six species, out of 35 coral species known to exist in the gulf. Those heat-adopted dominant species can be used to stimulate and revive impacted coral sites elsewhere.

Response of Coastal Water in the Taiwan Strait to Typhoon Nesat of 2017

The oceanic response of the Taiwan Strait (TWS) to Typhoon Nesat (2017) was investigated using a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave model (COAWST) verified by observations. Ocean currents in the TWS changed drastically in response to significant wind variation during the typhoon. The response of ocean currents was characterised by a flow pattern generally consistent with the Ekman boundary layer theory, with north-eastward volume transport being significantly modified by the storm. Model results also reveal that the western TWS experienced the maximum generated storm surge, whereas the east side experienced only moderate storm surge. Heat budget analysis indicated that surface heat flux, vertical diffusion, and total advection all contributed to changes in water temperature in the upper 30 m with advection primarily affecting lower depths during the storm. Momentum balance analysis shows that along-shore volume acceleration was largely determined by a combined effect of surface wind stress and bottom stress. Cross-shore directional terms of pressure gradient and Coriolis acceleration were dominant throughout the model run, indicating that the effect of the storm on geostrophic balance was small. This work provides a detailed analysis of TWS water response to typhoon passage across the strait, which will aid in regional disaster management.

Anatomy of Salinity Anomalies Associated With the Positive Indian Ocean Dipole

AbstractMechanisms of salinity anomalies associated with the positive Indian Ocean Dipole (pIOD) are investigated through a series of sensitivity experiments and an online budget analysis using a regional ocean model. Special emphasis is placed on the contribution from the rectified effects due to high‐frequency variability, which was not quantitatively discussed in previous studies. The results from sensitivity experiments show that positive sea surface salinity (SSS) anomalies in the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean are primarily caused by reduction in precipitation and partly by enhanced evaporation due to increased wind speed, while negative SSS anomalies in the central‐eastern equatorial Indian Ocean are generated by zonal advection anomalies induced by anomalous wind stress, consistent with previous studies. Completely new results are that the modulation of nonlinear salinity advection associated with mesoscale eddies also plays an important role in determining the spatial pattern of SSS anomalies, especially in the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean. On the other hand, subsurface salinity anomalies are almost entirely caused by wind stress effects mediated by ocean dynamical processes. Further decomposition of advective anomalies suggests that they are mainly explained by the pIOD‐related current anomalies governed by equatorial wave dynamics. However, a vertical shift of nonlinear freshening due to high‐frequency variability also substantially contributes to the generation of positive subsurface salinity anomalies in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. Our results show that large‐scale oceanic changes in response to the pIOD‐related atmospheric anomalies are the key drivers of the observed salinity anomalies, while some nonlinear effects also seem to be at work.