Rossby Wave Speed Research Articles

Upstream influence of midlatitude jet stream biases in boreal summer

AbstractClimate models exhibit biases in the mean state and in variability across different regions of the Earth. For example, atmosphere‐only models have a poleward bias in summertime jet streams across the Northern Hemisphere (NH). This can result from many processes, including misrepresentation of Rossby waves that can propagate in different directions and thereby interact with jet streams. However, Rossby‐wave biases can result from biased background state of the climate system as well. The propagation speed of Rossby waves depends on jet stream strength, thus a poleward displacement of the jet stream can hinder westward propagation of Rossby waves at higher latitudes and displace eastward propagating Rossby waves (downstream development). These biases then impact other regions resulting in biased atmospheric circulation across the NH. Indeed, in this study we confirm this via regional nudging experiments within the Norwegian Earth System Model. Namely, nudged horizontal winds over the North Pacific can improve Rossby wave statistics and thereby atmospheric circulation over Eurasia (i.e., upstream). However, nudging over the North Atlantic has little effect on boreal summer atmospheric circulation. This implies that improving biases over the North Pacific is crucial for a better representation of modelled boreal summer circulation over Eurasia.

Opposite spectral properties of Rossby waves during weak and strong stratospheric polar vortex events

Abstract. In this study we provide a systematic characterization of Rossby wave activity during the 25 sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) and 31 strong polar vortex (SPV) events that occurred in the period 1979–2021, identifying the specific tropospheric and stratospheric waves displaying anomalous behaviour during such events. Space–time spectral analysis is applied to ERA5 data for this purpose, so that both the wavenumber and the zonal phase speed of the waves can be assessed. We find that SSW events are associated with a reduction in the phase speed of Rossby waves, first in the stratosphere and then in the troposphere; SPV events are tied to a simultaneous increase of phase speed across vertical levels. Phase speed anomalies become significant around the event and persist for 2–3 weeks afterwards. Changes of Rossby wave properties in the stratosphere during SSW and SPV events are dominated by changes in the background flow, with a systematic reduction or increase, respectively, in eastward propagation of the waves across most wavenumbers. In the troposphere, on the other hand, the effect of the background flow is also complemented by changes in wave properties, with a shift towards higher wavenumbers during SSW events and towards lower wavenumbers for SPV events. The opposite response between SSW and SPV events is also visible in the meridional heat and momentum flux co-spectra, which highlight from a novel perspective the connection between stratospheric Rossby waves and upward propagation of waves.

Modulation of Annual Rossby Waves on the Formation of Basin‐Wide Salinity Fronts

AbstractThis study reveals the formation mechanisms of a group of salinity fronts across the Arabian Sea (AS) and explores their associations with annual Rossby waves, utilizing Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite data and other relevant data sets. As low‐salinity water is transported westward and northward at varying rates between 6°N ∼ 20°N, substantial basin‐wide northeast‐southwest oriented salinity fronts emerge at its leading edge from March to May. Further analysis indicates a strong correlation between the transport of low‐salinity water and the westward‐propagating Rossby waves. The salinity fronts are primarily influenced by the geostrophic circulation, which significantly contributes to the transport of low‐salinity water. As a result, the low‐salinity water closely aligns with positive sea level anomaly (SLA), representing westward propagating downwelling Rossby waves. A continuously stratified linear ocean model (LOM) analysis suggests second mode baroclinic Rossby waves dominate seasonal sea level changes, surpassing the influence of the first mode. The spatial mean standard deviation of the first mode within the region of 56 ∼ 75°E, 9 ∼ 11°N is approximately 60% that of the second mode. Positive SLA is mainly caused by the annual downwelling Rossby waves radiating from the eastern boundary. Due to the latitudinal decrease in the phase speed of the annual Rossby waves, the sea level fronts manifest the northeast‐southwest direction, resembling the location of the sea surface salinity fronts. The salinity fronts highlight the crucial role of Rossby waves in shaping upper ocean water mass distribution in the AS, potentially impacting the broader Indian Ocean climate.

Information-theoretic Analysis of Longitude Distribution of Photospheric Magnetic Fields from MDI/HMI Synoptic Maps: Evidence for Rossby Waves

Much of the research on the magnetic activity of the Sun has been focused on its axisymmetric component. However, the longitudinal complexity plays a fundamental role in the solar magnetic activity. Rossby waves have recently been proposed as a fundamental mechanism regarding the nonaxisymmetric nature of the solar magnetic fields. Here, we use HMI and MDI magnetic field synoptic maps to evaluate the magnetic field structures’ (mainly active regions) organization and propagation as a function of time and latitude. We demonstrate, using information theory, that the organization of longitudinal structures observed on synoptic maps is proportional to the level of activity at a given latitude. We further show that this organization on the longitudinal structures is persistent and due to long-lived features. The drift velocity of these long-lived photospheric features is inferred and is shown to significantly vary with latitude, and is compatible with the phase speed of tachocline magnetic Rossby waves with a toroidal field in the range of 5–10 kG. Our results suggest that Rossby waves contribute to the organization and propagation of photospheric magnetic features on the timescale of several months and beyond.

Quasi-geostrophic monopoles in a sheared zonal flow: Influence of the beta-effect and variable shear

This work builds on and continues a suite of earlier studies of the interaction between a monopole and a sheared zonal flow in the framework of a 1.5-layer quasi-geostrophic model. In Reznik and Kravtsov [Phys. Fluids 33, 116606 (2021); hereafter RK21], this problem was considered under an f-plane approximation for the case in which the dependence of the zonal velocity U¯(y) on latitude y was linear. Here, the conclusions stemming from that work are generalized for the case of a beta-plane and a variable shear of the background flow. Namely, numerical experiments with singular vortices using the algorithm of Kravtsov and Reznik [“Numerical solutions of the singular vortex problem,” Phys. Fluids 31, 066602 (2019); hereafter KR19] confirm the existence of the trapping latitude ytr, which attracts (repels) prograde (retrograde) vortices and clarifies the underlying mechanisms. Unlike in the case of a linear shear on an f-plane, the latitude ytr here does not necessarily coincide with the latitude at which the effective beta-parameter β¯=β−∂yyU¯+Rd−2U¯ vanishes (here, β denotes the derivative of the Coriolis parameter with respect to latitude and Rd is the Rossby radius of deformation). Another important difference is that in the presence of nonzero β≠0, a trapped prograde vortex exhibits a near-zonal westward drift with the zonal velocity close to the phase speed of long Rossby waves −βRd2 and the meridional velocity at least two orders of magnitude smaller than that. On the other hand, the meridional velocity of a retrograde vortex appears to be unrestricted; such a vortex can rapidly move in any direction, including the direction across the zonal current.

A Multi‐Layer Linear Rossby Wave Dispersion Relation for Vertical Tilt of Mesoscale Eddies

AbstractVertical tilt of mesoscale eddies has been frequently observed in world oceans. The observations of composite eddies, individual eddies from an oceanic reanalysis product, and idealized numerical experiments of mesoscale eddies all show that the eddy vertical tilt is gradually increased with time in eddy mature stage, implying that the eddy translation speed changes with depth. However, eddy vertical tilt cannot be explained by the classic linear Rossby wave dispersion relation, since the classic zonal translation speed () of linear Rossby waves is depth‐independent from the quasi‐geostrophic potential vorticity (QGPV) equation. To deduce a depth‐dependent linear Rossby wave dispersion relation, we solved the QGPV equation by assuming that the stratified water column in oceans can be separated into a number of fine layers with constant stratification in each layer, whereas the stratification changes among layers. A multi‐layer linear Rossby wave (MLRW) dispersion relation in stratified oceans is then deduced. The MLRW dispersion relation shows that changes with depth. In each layer, is proportional to stratification and layer thickness but inversely proportional to Earth's rotation. The estimated structure from the MLRW dispersion relation is consistent with the structure of eddies in numerical experiments and the observed composite eddies. Noticeably, there are some discrepancies between the theoretical estimates and those from observations and numerical simulations, primarily due to the sensitivity of the theoretical estimates to layer thickness. The study attempts to provide an approach to describe and predict mesoscale eddy vertical tilt.

Across-Shore Propagation of Subthermocline Eddies in the California Current System

AbstractThough subthermocline eddies (STEs) have often been observed in the world oceans, characteristics of STEs such as their patterns of generation and propagation are less understood. Here, the across-shore propagation of STEs in the California Current System (CCS) is observed and described using 13 years of sustained coastal glider measurements on three glider transect lines off central and southern California as part of the California Underwater Glider Network (CUGN). The across-shore propagation speed of anticyclonic STEs is estimated as 1.35–1.49 ± 0.33 cm s−1over the three transects, line 66.7, line 80.0, and line 90.0, close to the westward long first baroclinic Rossby wave speed in the region. Anticyclonic STEs are found with high salinity, high temperature, and low dissolved oxygen anomalies in their cores, consistent with transporting California Undercurrent water from the coast to offshore. Comparisons to satellite sea level anomaly indicate that STEs are only weakly correlated to a sea surface height expression. The observations suggest that STEs are important for the salt balance and mixing of water masses across-shore in the CCS.

Beta-Plane Arrested Topographic Wave as a Linkage of Open Ocean Forcing and Mean Shelf Circulation

AbstractPressure anomaly set by the open ocean affects the dynamic topography and associated circulation over the continental shelf, which is explored here on a linearized β-plane arrested topographic wave framework that considers the variation in Coriolis parameter with latitude. It was found that on a meridional shelf, a nondimensional parameter Peβ, termed the β Péclet number, signifies the characteristics of open ocean–shelf interaction. The Peβ ≡ Dβ/α is determined by the ratio of long-wave-limit planetary to topographic Rossby wave speeds, i.e., the β drift Dβ, and the linear Ekman number α. On the western boundary shelf, due to the westward planetary Rossby wave, open ocean pressure propagates shoreward as Peβ > 1, and shelf circulation peaks where Peβ drops to 1. At this location, the planetary β effect is balanced by the bottom friction. The Peβ = 1 must occur either on the shelf or on the coastal wall when Peβ > 1 is observed at the shelf edge. On the eastern boundary shelf, however, Peβ < 0, the pressure anomaly is removed from the shelf, and hence the inductive circulation decays rapidly from the shelf edge. This β effect is robust on gently sloping meridional shelves. For zonal shelves, the planetary β increases the effective bottom slope on the northern boundary shelf but decreases it on the southern one, in a sense of potential vorticity conservation. However, this effect could be less significant in reality, given the complex dynamics involved. The above mechanism can explain the dynamics driving the Taiwan Warm Current in the East China Sea and its bifurcation around 28°N.

Seasonal and Interannual Variability in the Sea Surface Temperature Front in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

AbstractFifteen years of satellite observations of sea surface temperature (SST) are used to identify frontal activities in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The frontogenesis and variability of frontal activities are mainly determined by wind forces. Strong frontal activities are distributed mainly near the coast and decrease with increasing offshore distance. The seasonal cycle dominates the variability in the SST frontal probability (FP) in coastal regions, and large interannual variability is identified in the tropics. Coastal frontal activities are driven by the local wind such that the equatorward wind stress forces coastal upwelling, which brings subsurface cold water to the surface and induces fronts. Frontal activities are generally enhanced during local summer, when an upwelling‐favorable wind prevails. A prominent offshore migration pattern is identified for mid‐latitude regions, and the associated propagation speed is consistent with the wind‐induced offshore Ekman transport and mesoscale eddies. The coastal tropical Pacific is also characterized by a strong FP with large seasonal variability. The corresponding fronts result from the confluence between the boundary current and wind‐driven cold water as the wind jet passes through mountain gaps. The frontal activities near the equator are driven by wind‐induced tropical upwelling associated with a westward propagation at speeds close to the speed of Rossby waves. In the tropics, strong interannual variability in FP is identified that is, modulated by the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation. Frontal activities are suppressed during El Niño years because trade winds are characterized by strong convergence, which induces downwelling and subsequently reduces FP.

Ertel Potential Vorticity versus Bernoulli Potential on Approximately Neutral Surfaces in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

AbstractWe investigate the relationship between Ertel potential vorticity Q and Bernoulli potential B on orthobaric density surfaces in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), using the Southern Ocean State Estimate. Similar to the extratropical atmospheres of Earth and Mars, Q and B correlate in the ACC in a function-like manner with modest scatter. Below the near-surface, the underlying function relating Q and B appears to be nearly linear. Nondimensionalizing its slope yields “Ma,” a “Mach” number for long Rossby waves, the ratio of the local flow speed to the intrinsic long Rossby wave speed. We empirically estimate the latter using established and novel techniques that yield qualitatively consistent results. Previous work related “Ma” to the degree of homogeneity of Q and to Arnol’d’s shear stability criteria. Estimates of “Ma” for the whole ACC are notably positive, implying inhomogeneous Q, on all circumpolar buoyancy surfaces studied. Upper layers generally exhibit “Ma” slightly less than unity, suggesting that shear instability may operate within these layers. Deep layers exhibit “Ma” greater than unity, implying stability. On surfaces shallower than 1000 m just north of the ACC, the Q versus B slope varies strongly on subannual and interannual time scales, but “Ma” hovers near unity. We also study spatial variability: the ACC is speckled with hundreds of small-scale features with “Ma” near unity, whereas away from the ACC “Ma” is more commonly negative or above unity, both corresponding to stability. Maps of the time-mean “Ma” show stable regions occupy most of the Southern Ocean, except for several topographically controlled hotspots where “Ma” is always near unity.

Baroclinic Modes over Rough Bathymetry and the Surface Deformation Radius

AbstractThe deformation radius is widely used as an indication of the eddy length scale at different latitudes. The radius is usually calculated assuming a flat ocean bottom. However, bathymetry alters the baroclinic modes and hence their deformation radii. In a linear quasigeostrophic two-layer model with realistic parameters, the deep flow for a 100-km wave approaches zero with a bottom ridge roughly 10 m high, leaving a baroclinic mode that is mostly surface trapped. This is in line with published current meter studies showing a primary EOF that is surface intensified and has nearly zero flow at the bottom. The deformation radius associated with this “surface mode” is significantly larger than that of the flat bottom baroclinic mode. Using World Ocean Atlas data, the surface radius is found to be 20%–50% larger over much of the globe, and 100% larger in some regions. This in turn alters the long Rossby wave speed, which is shown to be 1.5–2 times faster than over a flat bottom. In addition, the larger deformation radius is easier to resolve in ocean models.

Random Movement of Mesoscale Eddies in the Global Ocean

AbstractIn this study we track and analyze eddy movement in the global ocean using 20 years of altimeter data and show that, in addition to the well-known westward propagation and slight polarity-based meridional deflections, mesoscale eddies also move randomly in all directions at all latitudes as a result of eddy–eddy interaction. The speed of this random eddy movement decreases with latitude and equals the baroclinic Rossby wave speed at about 25° of latitude. The tracked eddies are on average isotropic at mid- and high latitudes, but become noticeably more elongated in the zonal direction at low latitudes. Our analyses suggest a critical latitude of approximately 25° that separates the global ocean into a low-latitude anisotropic wavelike regime and a high-latitude isotropic turbulence regime. One important consequence of random eddy movement is that it results in lateral diffusion of eddy energy. The associated eddy energy diffusivity, estimated using two different methods, is found to be a function of latitude. The zonal-mean eddy energy diffusivity varies from over 1500 m2 s−1 at low latitudes to around 500 m2 s−1 at high latitudes, but significantly larger values are found in the eddy energy hotspots at all latitudes, in excess of 5000 m2 s−1. Results from this study have important implications for recently developed energetically consistent mesoscale eddy parameterization schemes which require solving the eddy energy budget.

Commonly used methods fail to detect known propagation speeds of simulated signals from time–longitude (Hovmöller) diagrams

Abstract. This work examines the accuracy and validity of two variants of Radon transform and two variants of the two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (2-D FFT) that have been previously used for estimating the propagation speed of oceanic signals such as sea surface height anomalies (SSHAs) derived from satellite-borne altimeters based on time–longitude (Hovmöller) diagrams. The examination employs numerically simulated signals made up of 20 or 50 modes where one, randomly selected, mode has a larger amplitude than the uniform amplitude of the other modes. Since the dominant input mode is known ab initio, we can clearly define “success” in detecting its phase/propagation speed. We show that all previously employed variants fail to detect the phase speed of the dominant input mode when its amplitude is smaller than 5 times the amplitude of the other modes and that they successfully detect the phase speed of the dominant input mode only when its amplitude is at least 10 times the amplitude of the other modes. This requirement is an unrealistic limitation on oceanic observations such as SSHA. In addition, three of the variant methods detect a dominant mode even when all modes have the exact same amplitude. The accuracy with which the four methods identify a dominant input mode decreases with the increase in the number of modes in the signal. Our findings are relevant to the reliability of phase speed estimates of SSHA observations and the reported “too fast” a phase speed of baroclinic Rossby waves in the ocean.

Interannual Variability of Antarctic Intermediate Water in the Tropical North Atlantic

AbstractInterannual variability of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) in the tropical North Atlantic is investigated using the GECCO2 ocean state estimate and Argo data. AAIW salinity variability near the western boundary is highly correlated with the transport along the western boundary on interannual timescales. Northward propagating anomalies are associated with the western boundary transport variability that, to some extent, is related to the large‐scale wind stress curl forcing by means of the Sverdrup balance. AAIW anomalies also propagate westward with the speed of baroclinic Rossby waves, indicating that the displacement of the meridional salinity gradient by westward propagation of baroclinic Rossby waves plays a role in the variability of AAIW characteristics. Slower eastward spreading of AAIW anomalies is identified on decadal timescales likely associated with the advection of salinity anomalies by weak eastward current bands. Understanding the observed interannual and decadal variability of AAIW salinity is important to properly interpret salinity changes reported in response to changes in the hydrological cycle.

Generalized (2 + 1)-dimensional mKdV-Burgers equation and its solution by modified hyperbolic function expansion method

Abstract We investigate a new higher-dimensional nonlinear dynamics model to describe the generation and evolution of Rossby waves. We derive a generalized (2 + 1)-dimensional modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV)-Burgers equation by considering the quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity equation under the generalized β approximation with dissipation and external source in barotropic fluids, and by utilizing multiple scales and the perturbation expansion method. Qualitative analysis yields that the generalized β and shear basic flow can induce the nonlinear Rossby solitary waves, and dissipation has effects on the propagation of Rossby waves as well. Then, we analyze the conservation laws for the mass and energy of Rossby solitary waves. Moreover, the asymptotic kink-shaped solitary wave solution for the generalized (2 + 1)-dimensional mKdV-Burgers equation is explored by modified hyperbolic function expansion method. The solitary wave solutions and figures are analyzed, the results show that the dissipation effect causes the speed and amplitude of Rossby solitary waves to decrease exponentially and the width of Rossby solitary waves to increase exponentially with time.

Spatial distribution of the seasonal variability of the North Equatorial Current

The seasonal variability of the North Equatorial Current (NEC) is investigated with four moorings at 10.5°N, 13°N, 15.5°N, and 18°N along 130°E from September 2014 to September 2015 and five moorings at 8.5°N, 11°N, 12.5°N, 15°N and 17.5°N along 130°E collected during 2016 and 2017 cruises. Generally, the mooring data shows that the NEC is strongest during boreal spring and summer and weakest in autumn for the stations located at 8.5°N, 10.5°N, 11°N, 12.5°N, 13°N, 17.5°N and 18°N, but the seasonal phase is almost reversed at 15°N and 15.5°N.In the area east of 140°E and north of 10°N, as the seasonal cycle of the wind stress curl anomaly is almost identical at different latitudes, the Rossby waves play a dominant role in the spatial distribution of the seasonal NEC. As the latitude increases, the rate of decrease in the propagation speed of Rossby waves becomes slower, resulting that the delay of the seasonal sea surface height anomaly (SSHa) tends to be smaller. In the area east of 140°E and between 5°N and 10°N, the seasonal phase of SSHa is delayed more rapidly than that in the south of 5°N, which is the result of local wind and Rossby waves. In the area west of 140°E and from 7°N to 15°N, the seasonal phase of the wind stress curl anomaly advances sharply with increasing latitude, corresponding well to the meridional phase advance of the seasonal SSHa and surface NEC, suggesting that the local wind plays a dominant role.

Impact of Rossby waves on chlorophyll variability in the southeastern Arabian Sea

ABSTRACTWe use remotely sensed ocean colour data to show that Rossby waves are associated with the westward migration of chlorophyll distribution patterns in the southeastern Arabian Sea (SEAS). During the winter monsoon (November–February), the high chlorophyll concentrations observed along the west coast of India and Sri Lanka drifts westwards along with the downwelling Rossby waves. The speed of these chlorophyll signatures is in rough agreement with the expected second baroclinic mode Rossby wave speed. Observations from Ocean Surface Currents Analyses Real-time (OSCAR) suggest that it is the geostrophic currents associated with the Rossby wave propagation that influences the surface chlorophyll concentrations in the SEAS. The westward migration of chlorophyll is weaker during the summer monsoon (June–September) when the upwelling Rossby wave is observed in the sea-level data.

Rapid Water Transport by Long‐Lasting Modon Eddy Pairs in the Southern Midlatitude Oceans

AbstractWater in the ocean is generally carried with the mean flow, mixed by eddies, or transported westward by coherent eddies at speeds close to the long baroclinic Rossby wave speed. Modons (dipole eddy pairs) are a theoretically predicted exception to this behavior, which can carry water to the east or west at speeds much larger than the Rossby wave speed, leading to unusual transports of heat, nutrients, and carbon. We provide the first observational evidence of such rapidly moving modons propagating over large distances. These modons are found in the midlatitude oceans around Australia, with one also seen in the South Atlantic west of the Agulhas region. They can travel at more than 10 times the Rossby wave speed of 1–2 cm s−1 and typically persist for about 6 months carrying their unusual water mass properties with them, before splitting into individual vortices, which can persist for many months longer.

Meanders and eddy formation by a buoyant coastal current flowing over a sloping topography

Abstract. This study investigates the linear and non-linear instability of a buoyant coastal current flowing along a sloping topography. In fact, the bathymetry strongly impacts the formation of meanders or eddies and leads to different dynamical regimes that can both enhance or prevent the cross-shore transport. We use the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to run simulations in an idealized channel configuration, using a fixed coastal current structure and testing its unstable evolution for various depths and topographic slopes. The experiments are integrated beyond the linear stage of the instability, since our focus is on the non-linear end state, namely the formation of coastal eddies or meanders, to classify the dynamical regimes. We find three non-linear end states, whose properties cannot be deduced solely from the linear instability analysis. They correspond to a quasi-stable coastal current, the propagation of coastal meanders, and the formation of coherent eddies. We show that the topographic parameter Tp, defined as the ratio of the topographic Rossby wave speed over the current speed, plays a key role in controlling the amplitude of the unstable cross-shore perturbations. This result emphasizes the limitations of linear stability analysis to predict the formation of coastal eddies, because it does not account for the non-linear saturation of the cross-shore perturbations, which is predominant for large negative Tp values. We show that a second dimensionless parameter, the vertical aspect ratio γ, controls the transition from meanders to coherent eddies. We suggest the use of the parameter space (Tp, γ) to describe the emergence of coastal eddies or meanders from an unstable buoyant current. By knowing the values of Tp and γ for an observed flow, which can be calculated from hydrological sections, we can identify which non-linear end state characterizes that flow – namely if it is quasi-stable, meanders, or forms eddies.

An assessment of TropFlux and NCEP air-sea fluxes on ROMS simulations over the Bay of Bengal region

This study presents an assessment of the TropFlux and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis air-sea fluxes in simulating the surface and subsurface oceanic parameters over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) region during 2002–2014 using the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS). The assessment has been made by comparing the simulated fields with in-situ and satellite observations. The simulated surface and subsurface temperatures in the TropFlux forced experiment (TropFlux-E) show better agreement with the Research Moored Array for African-Asian-Australian Monsoon Analysis (RAMA) and Argo observations than the NCEP forced experiment (NCEP-E). The BoB domain averaged sea surface temperature (SST) simulated in the NCEP-E is consistently cooler than the satellite SST, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.79°C. Moreover, NCEP-E shows a limitation in simulating the observed seasonal cycle of the SST due to substantial underestimation of the pre-monsoon SST peak. These limitations are mostly due to the lower values of the NCEP net heat flux. The seasonal and interannual variations of SST in the TropFlux-E are better comparable to the observations with correlations and skills more than 0.80 and 0.90 respectively. However, SST is overestimated during summer monsoon periods mainly due to higher net heat flux. The superiority of TropFlux forcing over the NCEP reanalysis can also be seen when simulating the interannual variabilities of the magnitude and vertical extent of Wyrtki jets at two equatorial RAMA buoy locations. The jet is weaker in the NCEP-E relative to the TropFlux-E and observations. The simulated sea surface height anomalies (SSHA) from both the experiments are able to capture the regions of positive and negative SSHA with respect to satellite-derived altimeter data with better performance in the TropFlux-E. The speed of the westward propagating Rossby wave along 18°N in the TropFlux-E is found to be about 4.7cm/s, which is close to the theoretical phase speed of Rossby waves.