Decadal sea-level variability in the Australasian Mediterranean Sea

Abstract. Strong regional sea-level trends, mainly related to basin-wide wind stress anomalies, have been observed in the western tropical Pacific over last 3 decades. Analyses of sea level densely populated regions neighbouring Australasian Mediterranean Sea (AMS; also called Asian seas) are hindered by its complex topography and respective studies sparse. We used a series global eddy-permitting ocean models, including high-resolution configuration that resolves AMS with 120∘ horizontal resolution, forced comprehensive atmospheric forcing product 1958–2016 characterize patterns magnitude decadal variability AMS. The nature this is elucidated further sensitivity experiments interannual restricted either momentum or buoyancy fluxes, building on an experiment employing repeated-year without all components. Our results suggest fluctuations El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) account for 80 % deep basins region, except central South China (SCS). Changes Decadal (PDO) most pronounced shallow Arafura Timor seas SCS. On average, fluxes less than 10 SSH variability, but ratio highly variable time can reach values up 50 %. In particular, our flux amplifies dominant wind-stress-driven anomalies ENSO cycles. Intrinsic mostly negligible SCS, where it accounts 25 total variability.