DYNAmics of the Madden-Julian Oscillation / DYNAMO Subsurface Fluxes

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DYNAMO is a US research program motivated by the overall objective to expedite our understanding of processes key to the initiation of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) over the Indian Ocean. DYNAMO consists of four integrated components: a field campaign, data analysis, modeling, and forecasting. The field program is designed to observe the structure and evolution of cloud populations, their interaction with the large-scale environment, and air-sea interaction processes during MJO initiation. This project represents the ocean-side (subsurface) flux measurement program to complement surface flux measurements which are part of the air-sea interaction component of DYNAMO. The DYNAMO subsurface flux program focuses on air-sea interaction in the upper equatorial Indian Ocean, a key aspect for MJO initiation. This project will provide comprehensive measurements of the Indian Ocean barrier layer, upper-ocean mixing and entrainment as well as general surface layer behavior. Comprehensive and systematic upper ocean profiling of temperature, salinity, currents and turbulence will be executed during 35 days using proven instrumentation and techniques. This experiment's special focus will be assessment of changes in upper ocean heat content due to the combination of surface fluxes, depth-dependent solar heating (measured using in situ optical instrumentation) and subsurface divergence of turbulence heat transport (measured using the Chameleon CTD/ turbulence profiler). Advective contributions will be estimated from mooring arrays. These measurements will provide the basis for a determination of the physical processes underlying ocean/atmosphere feedbacks during the MJO initiation phase and for the parameterization of these processes in large scale ocean circulation models. These observations will be integrated into the DYNAMO/CINDY2011 program and made available to the general community to aid in understanding and predicting tropical climate systems. Inadequate representations of these processes in numerical models presently inhibit accurate simulation and prediction of MJO initiation. A better understanding of these processes is essential for improving their representations in numerical models.The DYNAMO subsurface flux program will introduce young scientists to complex, multi-scale air-sea interaction problems in the tropical climate system. DYNAMO observations will be used to calibrate and validate satellite retrievals, benefiting their application to much broader areas beyond MJO-related problems. Improved MJO simulation and prediction born from DYNAMO activities will enhance the capacity to deliver prediction and assessment products on intra-seasonal timescales for societal risk management and decision making, and to strengthen confidence in climate projections.