Spatiotemporal evolution of marine heatwaves globally
Scannell, H. A., Cai, C., Thompson, L., Whitt, D., Gagne, D. J., et al. (2024). Spatiotemporal evolution of marine heatwaves globally. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, doi:https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-23-0126.1
| Title | Spatiotemporal evolution of marine heatwaves globally |
|---|---|
| Genre | Article |
| Author(s) | H. A. Scannell, C. Cai, L. Thompson, Daniel Whitt, David John Gagne, R. P. Abernathey |
| Abstract | The spatiotemporal evolution of marine heatwaves (MHWs) is explored using a tracking algorithm called Ocetrac that provides the objective characterization of MHW spatiotemporal evolution. Candidate MHW grid points are defined in detrended gridded sea temperature data using a seasonally varying temperature threshold. Identified MHW points are collected into spatially distinct objects using edge detection with weak sensitivity to edge detection and size percentile threshold criteria at each time step. Ocetrac then uses 3D connectivity to determine if these objects are part of the same event, but Ocetrac only defines the full MHW event after all time steps have been processed, limiting its use in predictability studies. Here, Ocetrac is applied to monthly satellite sea surface temperature data from September 1981 through January 2021. The resulting MHWs are characterized by their intensity, duration, and total area covered. The global analysis shows that MHWs in the Gulf of Maine and Mediterranean Sea are spatially isolated, while major MHWs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans are connected in space and time. The largest and most long-lasting MHW using this method lasts for 60 months from November 2013 to October 2018, encompassing previously identified MHW events including those in the northeast Pacific (2014–15), the Tasman Sea (2015–16, 2017–18), and the Great Barrier Reef (2016). |
| Publication Title | Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology |
| Publication Date | Dec 1, 2024 |
| Publisher's Version of Record | https://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-23-0126.1 |
| OpenSky Citable URL | https://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7n58rpv |
| OpenSky Listing | View on OpenSky |
| CISL Affiliations | TDD, MILES |