Thu Oct 08, F. Flechtner
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Pillai, Ullas M., Ghomsi, Franck Eitel Kemgang, Kochuparampil, Ajith Joseph, Raj, Roshin P., and Johannessen, Ola M., 2026. Sub–basin sea level budget analysis in the North Indian Ocean (2003–2024). Scientific Reports, 16(1):28366, doi:10.1038/s41598-026-60856-5.
• from the NASA Astrophysics Data System • by the DOI System •
@ARTICLE{2026NatSR..1628366P,
author = {{Pillai}, Ullas M. and {Ghomsi}, Franck Eitel Kemgang and {Kochuparampil}, Ajith Joseph and {Raj}, Roshin P. and {Johannessen}, Ola M.},
title = "{Sub-basin sea level budget analysis in the North Indian Ocean (2003-2024)}",
journal = {Scientific Reports},
keywords = {North Indian Ocean, Sea level rise, Steric Sea level, GRACE gravimetry, Indian Ocean Dipole, Earth Sciences, Oceanography},
year = 2026,
month = jul,
volume = {16},
number = {1},
eid = {28366},
pages = {28366},
abstract = "{This study investigates sea level trends in the North Indian Ocean (NIO)
from 2003 to 2024, quantifying the contributions of
thermosteric, halosteric, and ocean mass components using
satellite altimetry, observation-based gridded products, and
GRACE gravimetry datasets. The NIO Sea level is rising at 4.83
{\ensuremath{\pm}} 0.22 mm/yr, driven primarily by thermosteric
sea level (2.21 {\ensuremath{\pm}} 0.16 mm/yr) followed by ocean
mass component (1.69 {\ensuremath{\pm}} 0.09 mm/yr). Sub-basinal
analysis reveals strong spatial heterogeneity, with the highest
rates of sea level rise in the Western Bay of Bengal (5.19
{\ensuremath{\pm}} 0.41 mm/yr) and the lowest in the Western
Arabian Sea (4.29 {\ensuremath{\pm}} 0.27 mm/yr). A distinct
halosteric contrast exists, where freshening accelerates rise in
the Bay of Bengal (up to 0.65 {\ensuremath{\pm}} 0.08 mm/yr in
the Eastern Bay), and increasing salinity suppresses it in the
Arabian Sea (down to -1.12 {\ensuremath{\pm}} 0.12 mm/yr in the
western Arabian Sea). Furthermore, while western sub-basins are
predominantly steric-driven, eastern sub-basins of Bay of Bengal
and Equatorial Indian Ocean exhibit anomalously high GRACE-
derived mass contributions (> 3 mm/yr), likely influenced by
post-seismic crustal adjustments from the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman
earthquake. Interannual variability closely tracks steric
changes modulated by ENSO and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD),
triggering basin-specific responses via wind anomalies and long-
period waves. Further analysis of tropical SST indices reveals
that the Western Tropical Indian Ocean SST index closely mirrors
the spatial correlation structures of the Dipole Mode Index, and
may serve as a useful indicator of regional sea level
variability, particularly over the Equatorial Indian Ocean and
Bay of Bengal. Ultimately, unlike the predominantly mass-driven
global trends where both mass and steric contributions are of
comparable magnitude, the NIO remains uniquely steric-dominated
and the sea level budget leaves a residual of 0.98 mm/yr
(\raisebox{-0.5ex}\textasciitilde 20\% of the total trend),
which, while comparable to uncertainties in individual
components, highlights remaining challenges in fully closing the
regional sea level budget.}",
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-60856-5},
adsurl = {https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2026NatSR..1628366P},
adsnote = {Provided by the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System}
}
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