Variability of mini cold pool off the southern tip of India as revealed from a thermodynamic upper ocean model

A 2.5-layer thermodynamic ocean model has been used to understand the processes associated with the formation of cold pool off southern tip of India. The mean model simulations from the 13 year integration for the period 1992-2004 renders a cold region off southern tip of India during the months of June to September which is recognized as mini cold pool (MCP). The inter-annual and intra-seasonal variability of the MCP for the 5 years from 2000 to 2004 is explored in detail in the present paper. The analysis of model SST shows intense and widespread MCP during the long breaks occurred in the months of July and August of the bad monsoon years 2002 and 2004. The intense cooling is in response to the wind induced upwelling and the resultant entrainment of cold water from the bottom layer. The presence of cyclonic gyre in the model currents also supports the intense MCP which might modulate the monsoon during break phase