Kessler W. S., Cravatte Sophie. (2013). ENSO and short-term variability of the south equatorial current entering the Coral Sea. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 43 (5), p. 956-969. ISSN 0022-3670.
Titre du document
ENSO and short-term variability of the south equatorial current entering the Coral Sea
Journal of Physical Oceanography, 2013,
43 (5), p. 956-969 ISSN 0022-3670
Historical section data extending to 1985 are used to estimate the interannual variability of transport entering the Coral Sea between New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands. Typical magnitudes of this variability are +/- 5-8 Sv (Sv = 10(6) m(3) s(-1)) in the 0-400-m layer relative to 400 m, and +/- 8-12 Sv in the 0-2000-m layer relative to 2000 m, on a mean of close to -30 Sv (relative to 2000 m). Transport increases a few months after an El Nino event and decreases following a La Nina. Interannual transport variability is well simulated by a reduced-gravity long Rossby wave model. Vigorous westward-propagating mesoscale eddies can yield substantial aliasing on individual ship or glider surveys. Since transport variability is surface intensified and well correlated with satellite-derived surface geostrophic currents, a simple index of South Equatorial Current transport based on satellite altimetry is developed.
