Physical and biological response of the Arabian Sea to tropical cyclone Phyan and its implications

The response to the tropical cyclone Phyan, which developed in the eastern Arabian Sea during 9–11 November 2009, was rapid cooling of sea surface temperature (SST), enhancement of chlorophyll a and two-fold increase in net primary productivity (NPP). Cooling of SST was immediate in response to the strong wind-mixing, and the subsequent upward Ekman pumping sustained the cooling even after the dissipation of Phyan. The biological response mediated by the upward Ekman pumping driven vertical transport of subsurface nutrient showed a time lag of 3–4 days. The CO2 flux to the atmosphere associated with Phyan was 0.123 Tg C, which accounted for ∼85% of the total out-gassing from the eastern Arabian Sea during November. Thus, an increased occurrence of cyclones in a warming environment will lead to an enhanced biomass production and also increase in CO2 out-gassing.