Seasonal Variation of the Seychelles Dome

Abstract

Using an ocean general circulation model (OGCM), seasonal variation of the Seychelles Dome (SD) is investigated for the first time. The SD is an oceanic thermal dome located in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and its influence on sea surface temperature is known to play an important role in the Indian monsoon system. Its seasonal variation is dominated by a remarkable semiannual cycle resulting from local Ekman upwelling. This semiannual nature is explained by different contributions of the following two components of the Ekman pumping: one term that is proportional to the planetary beta and the zonal wind stress and the other term that is proportional to the wind stress curl. The former is determined by the seasonal change in the zonal component of the wind stress vector above the SD; it is associated with the Indian monsoon and causes downwelling (upwelling) during boreal summer (boreal winter). The latter, whose major contribution comes from the meridional gradient of the zonal wind stress, also shows a clear annual cycle with strong upwelling during boreal summer and fall. However, it remains almost constant for 5 months from June to October, even though the zonal wind stress itself varies significantly during this period. The above overall feature is due to the unique location of the SD; it is located between the following two regions: one is dominated by the seasonal variation in wind stress resulting from the Indian monsoon, and the other is dominated by the southeasterly trade winds that prevail throughout a year. The above uniqueness provides a novel mechanism that causes the strong semiannual cycle in the tropical Indian Ocean.