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Cited by 69Climate variability and modelsOceanographic and Atmospheric ProcessesMeteorological Phenomena and Simulations

A strong Atlantic Meridional Mode event in 2009: The role of mixed layer dynamics

Foltz, Gregory R., McPhaden, Michael J., Lumpkin, Rick·2012·Journal of Climate
DOI 10.1175/jcli-d-11-00150.1
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Abstract

In the first half of 2009, anomalous cooling of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the equatorial North Atlantic (ENA; 2°–12°N) triggered a strong Atlantic meridional mode event. During its peak in April–May, SSTs in the ENA were 1°C colder than normal and SSTs in the equatorial South Atlantic (5°S–0°) were 0.5°C warmer than normal. Associated with the SST gradient were anomalous northerly winds, an anomalous southward shift of the intertropical convergence zone, and severe flooding in Northeast Brazil. This study uses in situ and satellite observations to examine the mechanisms responsible for the anomalous cooling in the ENA during boreal winter and spring of 2009. It is found that the cooling was initiated by stronger than normal trade winds during January and February 2009 associated with an anomalous strengthening of the subtropical North Atlantic high pressure system. Between 6° and 12°N, unusually strong trade winds cooled the ocean through wind-induced evaporation and deepened the mixed layer anomalously by 5–20 m. Closer to the equator, surface equatorial winds responded to the anomalous interhemispheric SST gradient, becoming northwesterly between the equator and 6°N. The anomalous winds drove upwelling of 0.5–1 m day−1 during March–April, a period when there is normally weak downwelling. The associated vertical turbulent heat flux at the base of the mixed layer led to unusually cool SSTs in the central basin, further strengthening the anomalous interhemispheric SST gradient. These results emphasize the importance of mixed layer dynamics in the evolution of the meridional mode event of 2009 and the potential for positive coupled feedbacks between wind-induced upwelling and SST in the ENA.

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  • Prior to the recent drought period, Northeast Brazil experienced a severe flood in 2009 that has been linked to anomalous SSTs in the tropical Atlantic.

    “Prior to the recent drought period, Northeast Brazil experienced a severe flood in 2009 that has been linked to anomalous SSTs in the tropical Atlantic (Foltz et al., 2012).”

    From The tropical atlantic observing system (2019) · cites this paper as Foltz et al., 2012

Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 7

  1. Cane, 1979, The response of an equatorial ocean to simple wind stress patterns: I. Model formulation and analytic results, J. Mar. Res., 37, 233
  2. Liebmann, 1996, Description of a complete (interpolated) outgoing longwave radiation dataset, Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 77, 1275
  3. McPhaden, 1982, Variability in the central equatorial Indian Ocean. Part II: Oceanic heat and turbulent energy balance, J. Mar. Res., 40, 403
  4. Reynolds, 2002, An improved in situ and satellite SST analysis for climate, J. Climate, 15, 1609, 10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015<1609:AIISAS>2.0.CO;2 · DOI
  5. Saravanan, 2000, Interaction between tropical Atlantic variability and El Niño–Southern Oscillation, J. Climate, 13, 2177, 10.1175/1520-0442(2000)013<2177:IBTAVA>2.0.CO;2 · DOI
  6. Sun, 2003, Comparisons of surface meteorology and turbulent heat fluxes over the Atlantic: NWP model analyses versus moored buoy observations, J. Climate, 16, 679, 10.1175/1520-0442(2003)016<0679:COSMAT>2.0.CO;2 · DOI
  7. Xie, 2004, Tropical Atlantic variability: Patterns, mechanisms, and impacts, 10.1029/147GM07 · DOI

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Authors
Foltz, G. R., McPhaden, M. J., & Lumpkin, R.
Affiliations
  • NOAA/Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Miami, Florida
  • NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, Washington
Venue
Journal of Climate
Publisher
American Meteorological Society
Published
2012-01-01
Volume
25
Issue
1
Pages
363-380
ISSN
  • 0894-8755 (ISSN-L)
  • 1520-0442
DOI
10.1175/jcli-d-11-00150.1
OpenAlex
W2104068702
Cited by
69
References
40
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 5 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 1
FWCI
2.99
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Journal of Climate (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate variability and models
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations
Keywords
Atlantic Meridional Mode, mixed layer dynamics, wind-induced upwelling, trade winds, turbulent heat flux, ocean-atmosphere interaction

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