Low‐frequency variability of South Pacific Tropical Water from Argo. Issue 7 (2nd April 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Linlin; Qu, Tangdong
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 41:Issue 7(2014:Apr.)
• Page Start: 2441
• Page End: 2446
• Publication Date: 2014-04-02
• Subjects: South Pacific Tropical Water -- salinity -- low‐frequency variability -- Pacific Decadal Oscillation; Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1002/2014GL059490
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

Abstract: Based on the Argo floats data, the low‐frequency salinity variability of the South Pacific Tropical Water (SPTW) is investigated in this study. Subsurface salinity along the 24.5 σθ surface in the South Pacific subtropical gyre exhibits a trend with dipole‐like structure during 2004–2012. The northern flank of the SPTW gets fresher by 0.3 practical salinity unit (psu), while the southern flank gets saltier by 0.2 psu, suggesting a poleward shift of the water mass. Salinity along the SPTW core shows a relatively weak interannual variability with a peak‐to‐peak amplitude of 0.05 psu. Such a subsurface salinity variability seems to be connected with the sea surface salinity variability in the SPTW formation region, and the dipole‐like structure of the salinity trend is further linked to the decadal variability of the evaporation minus precipitation in this region. Key Points: SPTW salinity exhibits a trend with dipole‐like structure during 2004–2012 SPTW salinity variation originates from SSS variation in its formation region SSS variation in SPTW formation region is linked to surface freshwater flux