Low-frequency variations in primary production in the Oman upwelling zone associated with monsoon winds

Thirteen-year satellite-derived data are used to investigate the temporal variability of net primary production (NPP) in the Oman upwelling zone and its potential forcing mechanisms. The NPP in the Oman upwelling zone is characterized by an abnormal decrease during El Nino events. Such an NPP decrease may be related to El Nino-driven anomalous summertime weak wind. During the summer following El Nino, the anomalous northeasterly wind forced by southwest Indian Ocean warming weakens the southwest monsoon and warms the Arabian Sea. The abnormal wind weakens the coastal Ekman transport, offshore Ekman pumping and horizontal advection, resulting in reduced upward nutrient supply to the euphotic zone. A slightly declining trend in NPP after 2000 associated with a gradual decrease in surface monsoon winds is discussed.