01-05 December 2025
INCOIS, Hyderabad, India.
| Abstract Submission No. | ABS-04-0239 |
| Title of Abstract | Tracing the Abyssal Water Pathways in the Indian Ocean |
| Authors | Mr. Kaushik Mishra*, Dr. Bishakhdatta Gayen, Dr. Kathryn L Gunn, Dr. PN Vinayachandran, Dr. Nihar Paul |
| Organisation | Indian Institute of Science |
| Address | Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (CAOS), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, Karnataka, India Pincode: 560012 E-mail: kaushikm@iisc.ac.in |
| Country | India |
| Presentation | Oral |
| Abstract | Antarctic-origin abyssal waters occupy a significant volume of the Indian Ocean and play a critical role in ocean circulation and ventilation. Yet, they remain understudied, with no direct measurements of the abyssal upwelling. In our work, we employ a high-resolution Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS), along with reanalysis and ocean observation datasets, to investigate the transport and pathways of abyssal waters entering the Indian Ocean (IO) from the Southern Ocean. We show that our model accurately simulates the dense, terrain-following flows, and we find that the abyssal water enters the IO through three distinct pathways, steered by seafloor topography. Major upwelling occurs at key hotspots mainly along continental boundaries and narrow fracture zones, where approximately 75% of the abyssal water entering the IO returns to the upper ocean. This study provides the first model-based quantification of both the meridional and vertical abyssal volume fluxes in the Indian Ocean, identifying key boundary processes and upwelling hotspots that control the basin-wide circulation. |
| Are you part of IIOE-2 endorsed project | no |
| Keywords | bottom-water; upwelling; abyssal flows |
| For Awards | yes |
| Date Of Birth | 16-08-1998 |
| ECSN Registration Number | IIOE2-ECSN-0150 |