Hurricanes’ Deep Water Impact: Climate Effects Reaching Far and Wide
Scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, along with a colleague from Brandeis University and two from Oregon State University, have discovered proof that typhoons/hurricanes can force warm water into the depths of the ocean, transporting it to distant locations.
Their findings, posted in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved examining the state of the ocean prior to and following three typhoons that occurred in certain areas of the Philippine Sea.
Previous studies have illustrated that the formation of typhoons and hurricanes is initiated by the evaporation of warm tropical water into the atmosphere. While considerable research has focused on the effects of these storms on populated land areas, little attention has been given to understanding their impact on the ocean.
Investigating the Impact of Typhoons on the Philippine Sea through a Sailing Expedition
To bridge this knowledge gap, a group of researchers embarked on a sailing expedition across the Philippine Sea in the autumn of 2018, coinciding with the formation of three typhoons. This allowed them to investigate the repercussions of these storms on the ocean. The team deployed probes into the sea to measure water movement and temperature before and after the typhoons made landfall.
Their findings revealed that each typhoon pushed warm surface water downward into the depths of the ocean. Additionally, the storms caused turbulence in the water, leading to the mixing of warm water from the upper layers with colder water from below. Subsequently, underwater waves generated by the typhoons forced the warmer water to sink further, while the sun reheated the cooler water at the surface.
The researchers observed that the warm water descended to depths of 300 meters and persisted for a minimum of three weeks after the passage of a cyclone.
Furthermore, the researchers found that once the warm water was pushed downward, it was carried away by deep ocean currents. They found evidence suggesting that this warm water from the typhoons reached the coasts of Ecuador and California, propelled by these currents.
Upon reaching the coast, the water ascended to the surface through shoaling currents and turbulent mixing. The team postulated that the movement of warm ocean water by typhoons and hurricanes could have implications for weather conditions in far-flung regions as the water resurfaces.
Read the original article on PHYS.
Read more: The Ocean Colour System Gets a ‘Refresh,’ Permitting More Precise and Accurate Measurements.
