SUSTAINED OBSERVATIONS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN -APPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Gary MEYERS, Stuart GODFREY, Arnold GORDON, Peter HACKER, Mark JURY, Bill LAU, Satish SHETYE, Tien SRIBIMAWATI, Toshio YAMAGATA
ABSTRACT-This paper explores the path between Indian Ocean observations and applications for research and socio-economic benefit. Regional SST anomalies in the Indian Ocean are associated with rainfall over Africa, Asia and Australia. The rainfall anomalies have a very large economic impact. Examples are presented for Australia and Southern Africa. The rainfall patterns may have a degree of predictability because ocean-dynamics play a role in generation of SST anomalies. Consequently, management of impacts is beginning to rely on timely, oceanic information and prediction from specific ocean-areas. Recent progress in understanding ocean-dynamics in these areas is reviewed. An interannual Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) in SST anomalies and rainfall is identified and related to internal oceanic processes. The relationship of IOD to Australian rainfall is discussed, and compared to ENSO rainfall patterns. The impact of the global ENSO SST anomaly pattern on Asian/Australian Monsoon rainfall is compared to the impact of regional SST. The impact of intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) in regions as far away as China is also discussed. ISO is associated with strong winds, heavy precipitation, and cool SST anomalies in the eastern Indian Ocean. Spatial and temporal scales of oceanic structure associated with ISO are reviewed. Warming transport of Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) into the region has recently been directly measured. Progress in understanding the regional SST anomalies provides a background for recommendations on sustained observations to monitor Indian Ocean structures such as IOD, ISO and ITF.
