Surface freshwater from Bay of Bengal runoff and Indonesian Throughflow in the Tropical Indian Ocean

According to recent estimates, the annual total continental runoff into the Bay of Bengal (BoB) is about 2950 km 3, which is more than half that into the entire tropical Indian Ocean (IO). Here we use climatological observations to trace the seasonal pathways of near surface freshwater from BoB runoff and Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) by removing the net contribution from precipitation minus evaporation. North of 20 degrees S, the amount of freshwater from BoB runoff and ITF changes with season in a manner consistent with surface currents from drifters. BoB runoff reaches remote regions of the Arabian Sea; it also crosses the equator in the east to join the ITF. This freshwater subsequently flows west across the southern tropical IO in the South Equatorial Current

Observed subseasonal variability of heat flux and the SST response of the tropical Indian Ocean

We develop an experimental daily surface heat flux data set based on satellite observations to study subseasonal variability (periods shorter than 90 days) in the tropical Indian Ocean. We use incoming shortwave and longwave radiation from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project, and sea surface temperature (SST) from microwave sensors, to estimate net radiative flux. Latent and sensible heat fluxes are estimated from scatterometer winds and near-surface air temperature and specific humidity from Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) observations calibrated to buoy data. Seasonal biases in net heat flux are generally within 10 W m(-2) of estimates from moorings, and the phases and amplitudes of subseasonal variability of heat fluxes are realistic. We find that the contribution of subseasonal changes in air-sea humidity gradients to latent heat flux equals or exceeds the contribution of subseasonal changes in wind speed in all seasons. SST responds coherently to subseasonal oscillations of net heat flux associated with active and suppressed phases of atmospheric convection in the summer hemisphere. Thus, subseasonal SST changes are mainly forced by heat flux in the northeast Indian Ocean in northern summer, and in the 15 degrees S-5 degrees N latitude belt in southern summer. In the winter hemisphere, subseasonal SST changes are not a one-dimensional response to heat flux, implying that they are mainly due to oceanic advection, entrainment, or vertical mixing. The coherent evolution of subseasonal SST variability and surface heat flux suggests active coupling between SST and large-scale, organized tropical convection in the summer season