Submesoscale dynamics in the Bay of Bengal: Inversions and instabilities
Data files
Oct 11, 2023 version files 136.22 MB
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MET_190717.mat
426.25 KB
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MET_190718.mat
521.80 KB
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MET_190719.mat
476.08 KB
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MET_190720.mat
10.58 MB
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README.md
1.58 KB
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sadcp_tot.mat
14.07 MB
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Section_10.mat
36.27 MB
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Section_7.mat
1.72 MB
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Section_8.mat
36.24 MB
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Section_9.mat
35.93 MB
Abstract
High-resolution observations reveal the complex processes controlling the evolution and subduction of a cold and salty, dense filament in the Bay of Bengal. The filament, likely formed through coastal upwelling, was advected offshore by a mesoscale strain field and brought adjacent to fresher water from runoff and rain. The front on an edge of the dense filament is observed to undergo restratification and steepening, responding to evolving mesoscale and submesoscale convergence and divergences. Measurements and analyses indicate the development of both small-scale instabilities (such as SI) and slightly larger-scale ageostrophic secondary circulation, acting in concert to subduct and stir surface heat into the interior. Our results highlight the importance of small-scale three-dimensional dynamics in setting upper ocean properties in the Bay of Bengal.
README: Submesoscale Dynamics in the Bay of Bengal: Inversions and Instabilities
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6q573n644
The data included in this set consists of physical properties of the upper ocean from a July 2019 survey of the Bay of Bengal from in-situ and satellite instrumentation.
Description of the data and file structure
Thermohaline variability
Four .mat files labeled "Section_X.mat" correspond to four transects from a shipboard profiling system (FastCTD). This data is in-situ and should be plotted on an x-z plane. These datasets include:
- temperature [degrees Celsius]
- salinity [psu]
- density [kg/m3]
- time
- geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude)
- depth, P [m]
Velocity data
The velocity data provided is derived from shipboard ADCP systems (sadcp_tot.mat). The ADCP data used in this paper (300 kHz) can be accessed from the first structure in the cell array of sadcp_tot.mat and includes:
- zonal and meridional velocities, u and v [m/s]
- time
- geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude)
- depth [m]
Meteorological data
Atmospheric and surface ocean data is contained in the files "MET_190XXX.mat", where XXX refers to the dates July 17-20, 2019. Each file contains a structure detailing:
- air temperature [degrees C]
- accumulated precipitation [mm]
- short wave radiation [W/m2]
- wind speed [m/s]
- wind direction [degrees, direction wind is coming from]
- time
Code/Software
The software used to open and analyze these files was MATLAB.