A KANKONKAR
Articles written in Journal of Earth System Science
Volume 129 All articles Published: 30 January 2020 Article ID 0057 Research Article
Observed variability of the West India Coastal Current on the continental slope from 2009–2018
ANYA CHAUDHURI D SHANKAR S G APARNA P AMOL V FERNANDO A KANKONKAR G S MICHAEL N P SATELKAR S T KHALAP A P TARI M G GAONKAR S GHATKAR R R KHEDEKAR
We describe the variability of the West India Coastal Current (WICC) during October 2008 to October 2018 using data from ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profiler) moorings deployed on the continental slope off the west coast of India. The four moorings are deployed off Mumbai ($\sim 20^{0}\rm{N}$), Goa ($\sim 15^{0}\rm{N}$), Kollam ($\sim 9^{0}\rm{N}$), and Kanyakumari ($\sim 7^{0}\rm{N}$). This 10-year data set allows us to attach a statistical significance to the conclusions drawn by Amol et al. (2014) on the basis of four years (October 2008–October 2012) of ADCP data. The longer data set confirms the earlier finding that intraseasonal variability in the 30–90-day band dominates the variability of the WICC at all locations and that this intraseasonal variability peaks during the winter monsoon. The annual cycle (300–400 days) is strong and statistically significant at all locations. The phase propagates upward for the annual cycle and this phase difference is seen in the relative phases of both, the ADCP currents at 25 and 48 m as well as the 48 m ADCP and satellite-derived currents. The intra-annual (100–250 days) and intraseasonal currents show instances of both upward and downward phase propagation. The alongshore wavelet coherence is high on seasonal time scales between adjacent mooring locations and several instances of high coherence are seen even on intraseasonal time scales. Data gaps off Goa and Kanyakumari restrict the significant wavelet power to the ADCP records off Kollam and Mumbai, and the coherence analysis shows that the WICC off Kollam leads Mumbai on seasonal scales. The direction of the alongshore WICC is, however, largely determined by the direction of the significantly larger intraseasonal component. Though the climatological seasonal cycle over the whole record does show the canonical equator ward flow during the summer monsoon (June–September) and poleward flow during the winter monsoon (November–February), the scatter around the daily mean is very high.The data show that the WICC may flow in either direction on a given day of the year, with this unpredictability of direction being stronger off Kollam, where the $1-\sigma$ band of the daily mean alongshore WICC shows that it can flow in either direction in most months. The seasonality is stronger off Mumbai, where the width of the $1-\sigma$ band is less. The decade-long continuous record off Kollam and Mumbai shows that the sub-annual along shore WICC at both locations is significant and is comparable to or stronger than the annual component.The cross-shore sub-annual current is also strong off Kollam and is seen to be associated with eddy-like circulations.
Volume 129 All articles Published: 20 February 2020 Article ID 0077 Research Article
Observed variability of the East India Coastal Current on the continental slope during 2009–2018
S MUKHOPADHYAY D SHANKAR S G APARNA A MUKHERJEE V FERNANDO A KANKONKAR S KHALAP N P SATELKAR M G GAONKAR A P TARI R R KHEDEKAR S GHATKAR
We describe the variability of the East India Coastal Current (EICC) during 2009–2018 using data from ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profiler) moorings deployed on the continental slope in the western Bay of Bengal. The four moorings are deployed off Gopalpur ($19.5^{0}\rm{N}$), Visakhapatnam ($\sim 18^{0}\rm{N}$), Kakinada ($\sim 16^{0}\rm{N}$), and Cuddalore ($\sim 12^{0}\rm{N}$) on the Indian east coast. The longer data record allows us to attach a statistically more robust basis to the conclusions drawn by Mukherjee et al. (2014) on the basis of four years (2009–2013) of ADCP data. The data confirm that the seasonal cycle dominates the variability of the EICC. The amplitude of the annual band varies over the time series. In the intra-annual band, the variability switches between the semi-annual and 120-day bands off Gopalpur, Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, but the semi-annual band is stronger than the 120-day band off Cuddalore throughout the time series. Upward phase propagation is common in the seasonal bands, but downward phase propagation is common in the intra-annual band of Cuddalore during the summer and winter monsoons, leading to stronger undercurrents there. Off Cuddalore, even the annual EICC appears as a shallow current. In contrast, the EICC appears as a deep flow of Gopalpur, Visakhapatnam, and Kakinada particularly during the spring inter-monsoon. This deep flow is evident at these locations even in the intraseasonal (30–90-day) band; the longer data set suggests, however, that the intraseasonal variability does not necessarily peak during spring. The annual EICC is coherent along the coast, but it is only the semiannual band that shows a comparable coherence between Kakinada and Cuddalore: in the 120-day and intraseasonal bands, the EICC decorrelates along the coast. Wavelet analysis suggests significant variability at sub-annual periods. The sub-annual EICC exceeds $20 cm s^{-1}$ on many occasions, but it too decorrelates along the coast. The long ADCP record allows us to confirm the dominance of seasonality in the EICC regime in a robust fashion; the data show that the EICC tends to flow in its canonical poleward (equatorward) direction during spring (winter). This dominance of seasonality enhances the predictability of the EICC.
Volume 129 All articles Published: 10 April 2020 Article ID 0106 Research Article
Observed variability of the East India Coastal Current on the continental shelf during 2010–2018
S MUKHOPADHYAY D SHANKAR S G APARNA V FERNANDO A KANKONKAR
We describe the variability of the East India Coastal Current (EICC) during 2010–2018 on the outer continental shelf using data from four ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profilers) moorings deployed off Gopalpur ($\sim19.5^{\circ}\rm{N}$), Visakhapatnam ($\sim18^{\circ}\rm{N}$), Kakinada ($\sim16^{\circ}\rm{N}$), and Cuddalore ($\sim12^{\circ}\rm{N}$) on the east coast of India. In general, the shelf EICC mirrors the slope EICC for the annual and semi-annual cycles, but the shelf-slope coherence is weaker and patchy for the 120-day and intraseasonal bands. The seasonal cycle, which consists of the annual, semi-annual, and 120-day bands, dominates the observed variability. The amplitude of the annual cycle varies over the time series. In the intra-annual band, variability tends to switch between the semi-annual and 120-day bands, but the former dominates throughout the time series off Cuddalore, the southernmost location. The EICC appears as a shallow current in all period bands, including the seasonal cycle, off Cuddalore, but even the intraseasonal EICC appears as a deep current at the other three locations. A wavelet analysis shows seasonal variation of the wavelet power in the intraseasonal band, suggesting that the amplitude of intraseasonal variability itself varies with season, but there is no clear seasonal pattern. As on the continental slope, the annual and semi-annual components are coherent along the coast, but alongshore coherence is weak at shorter time scales. Upward phase propagation is evident for the seasonal cycle at all locations, but downward phase propagation, seen on the slope off Cuddalore, is evident on the shelf as well. The 500-day low-pass filtered shelf EICC is not weak and the sub-annual variability is comparable to that on the slope. The long ADCP record allows us to confirm the dominance of seasonality in the EICC regime in a robust fashion; the data show that the EICC tends to flow in its canonical poleward (equatorward) direction during spring (winter). This dominance of seasonality enhances the predictability of the EICC.
Volume 130 All articles Published: 30 April 2021 Article ID 0077 Research Article
Observed variability of the West India Coastal Current on the continental shelf from 2010–2017
ANYA CHAUDHURI AMOL P SHANKAR D MUKHOPADHYAY S APARNA S G FERNANDO V A KANKONKAR
We describe the variability of the West India Coastal Current (WICC) during 2009–2017 using data from acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) attached to moorings deployed on the outer shelf at a water-column depth of 100–200 m at three locations: off Kollam (9$^{\circ}$N), Bhatkal (13.9$^{\circ}$N), and Goa (15$^{\circ}$N). Our study shows that the characteristics of the WICC on the outer shelf are similar to those observed on the slope except for the occasional decorrelation observed between them. Both shelf and slope WICC have a weak mean flow and a strong annual cycle. As seen on the slope, the depth of the undercurrent on the shelf changes with season because of the strong upward phase propagation associated with the annual cycle. Though the currents at all three shelf locations exhibit a strong seasonal cycle, there are prominent differences between the currents off the southwest coast of India (Kollam) and the central west coast of India (Bhatkal and Goa). The seasonal cycle off Kollam is often punctuated by strong intraseasonal bursts, which cause the shelf WICC off Kollam to be highly unpredictable; this unpredictability implies that on a given day of the year, one cannot expect a poleward (equatorward) current during the winter (summer) monsoon. On the central west coast, the poleward (equatorward) direction during the winter monsoon (summer monsoon) is prominent. Comparison with the available datasets shows that the WICC is occasionally coherent along and across the shelf, and the coherence is stronger for the seasonal cycle.
$\bf{Highlights}$
$\bullet$ Characteristics of the WICC on the outer shelf are similar to those observed on the slope.
$\bullet$ Shelf WICC has a weak mean flow and a strong annual cycle.
$\bullet$ Differences observed between currents off central west coast and southwest coast of India.
$\bullet$ Seasonal cycle off Kollam is often punctuated by strong intraseasonal bursts.
Volume 130 All articles Published: 24 September 2021 Article ID 0197 BriefCommunication
Observed current variability in Gulf of Mannar
VINEET JAIN P AMOL V FERNANDO G SMICHAEL S G APARNA A KANKONKAR P A TARI M G GAONKAR N P SATELKAR S T KHALAP
We present current data from an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) moored on the continental shelf-break in the Gulf of Mannar (GoM) near Ram Setu during 2010–2011. The observations show that the near-surface, sub-inertial current flows primarily north-westward all round the year. This northwestward flow is punctuated by intraseasonal bursts that last a few weeks. Compared to the current off Kanyakumari, the intraseasonal fluctuations in the GoM are weaker and in the opposite direction. The flip in direction is linked to eddy-like circulations, which cause the current to bifurcate or merge in the region between Kanyakumari and Ram Setu.
$\bf{Highlights}$
$\bullet$ Ocean current data collected in Gulf of Mannar.
$\bullet$ Near-surface current is north-westward over most part of the year.
$\bullet$ Current shows intraseasonal variability.
$\bullet$ Intraseasonal variability in the Gulf of Mannar current is weaker and in opposite direction compared to off Kanyakumari current.
$\bullet$ The opposite direction of Gulf of Mannar and off Kanyakumari currents is linked to local changes in the sea level.
Volume 132, 2023
All articles
Continuous Article Publishing mode
Click here for Editorial Note on CAP Mode
© 2022-2023 Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru.