Variations of Coastal Currents and Water Temperature at the Northern Peru during El Ni&ntilde o 2015-2016

Abstract

During El Ni&ntilde o 2015-2016 period, temperature and currents data obtained by mooring a thermistor chain, a conductivity-temperature sensor and an ADCP at a platform were analyzed to descript movements of the Equatorial Front along the northern Peruvian coast from December 6, 2014 to May 27, 2016. The temperature varied with a range of 17-25 ºC near the surface, 16-22 ºC near the bottom of 53 m depth. Correlation coefficient between surface and bottom temperatures was 0.68. Three water masses were identified in the surface layer by Cold Coastal Water, Subtropical Surface Water, and Surface Tropical Water. Averaged depth mean current speed was 9.5 cm/s flowed to the south-southwest. Strong coastal currents faster than 40 cm/s which was the same direction as the mean current were found on April 10, September 18, and November 26, 2016. After these strong current, the bottom temperature increased from approximately 18 ºC for 12 &#8211 30 days then decreased gradually. The time span of increasing temperature was shorter than that of decreasing. These high anomalies of temperature imply the effect of propagation of Kevin Waves along Peruvian coast during El Ni&ntilde o.northern Peruvian coast from December 6, 2014 to May 27, 2016. The temperature varied with a range of 17-25 ºC near the surface, 16-22 ºC near the bottom of 53 m depth. Correlation coefficient between surface and bottom temperatures was 0.68. Three water masses were identified in the surface layer by Cold Coastal Water, Subtropical Surface Water, and Surface Tropical Water. Averaged depth mean current speed was 9.5 cm/s flowed to the south-southwest. Strong coastal currents faster than 40 cm/s which was the same direction as the mean current were found on April 10, September 18, and November 26, 2016. After these strong current, the bottom temperature increased from approximately 18 ºC for 12 &#8211 30 days then decreased gradually. The time span of increasing temperature was shorter than that of decreasing. These high anomalies of temperature imply the effect of propagation of Kevin Waves along Peruvian coast during El Ni&ntilde o.