Oceanic mixed layer variations during the movement of cyclone along symmetric tracks in the Indian Ocean

Abstract

<span style="mso-bidi-language:HI">The understanding of significant changes in the oceanic mixed layer is important for dynamical prediction of tropical cyclone. Present study aims at examining the variations in the upper ocean parameters during the movement of tropical

<span style="mso-bidi-language:HI">cyclone in northern and southern Indian Ocean, by applying 1½<i> </i>layer wind driven reduced gravity ocean model. Different idealized tracks in the Bay of Bengal and their mirror images in southern hemisphere are considered, The model produced mixed layer depth, temperature and currents are compared for northern and southern hemispheric cyclone cases. Also the effect of latitude for westward moving cyclones in both the hemisphere is investigated. For this, tracks in the Arabian Sea

<span style="mso-bidi-language:HI">and their counter parts in the southern hemisphere are considered. The maximum cooling found in the wake of cyclone is of the order of 3 - 4°C, which is comparable with earlier studies and observations. This significant cooling can cause weakening of the storm. This can be useful for prediction especially in the event of a cyclonic storm heading towards land and likely to make land fall. Moreover it is also seen that the mixed layer is cooled more on the right (left) of the storm track in northern (southern) hemisphere. This cooling decreases for the storms translating along higher latitudes implying the sensitivity of the latitudinal location of the storm.

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