Characteristics Of Southern Ocean Swells Propagating Into The Northern Indian Ocean

Abstract

Experiments were carried out utilizing a numerical wave model to study the properties of swells propagating into the northern Indian Ocean from the Southern Ocean. It is a well-known fact that the northern Indian Ocean is distinguished from other oceans primarily by the annual reversal of wind twice during the southwest and northeast monsoon seasons. In this context a comparative study has been conducted regarding swell propagation for the months of July and December of 2015. The propagation of swell waves from Southern Ocean and South Indian Ocean to North Indian Ocean is studied in the present work. The complicated phenomena of Southern Ocean swells spreading into the northern Indian Ocean have important ramifications for coastal areas and marine industries. This research uses a combination of satellite measurements, computational models, and statistical studies to examine the properties of these swells. To capture the variability and patterns of Southern Ocean swell propagation into the northern Indian Ocean, it is analyzed data spanning several years.  In the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal regions the swell waves follow the wind direction in July representing the southwest monsoons whereas they move opposite to the wind direction in December representing the northeast monsoons. The swells generated between 40⁰S-60⁰S take 6-8 days to reach the northern Indian Ocean and the speed calculated is nearly 1100km per day