Changes in local oceanographic and atmospheric conditions shortly after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

This study examines changes in the local oceanographic and atmospheric conditions over the southern Bay of Bengal and adjacent Indian Ocean waters after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami based on satellite remote sensing data and atmospheric reanalysis fields. After the tsunami that occurred on 26 December 2004, the accumulated rainfall had a notably increase (600 mm per month) in January of 2005 over deep waters to the southeast of Sri Lanka. This rainfall increase after the tsunami was accompanied with cooling in the sea surface temperature (SST) (up to −2 °C). Four-day averaged SST anomalies had a noticeable increase (1–4 °C) after the tsunami over the deep waters to the southwest of the epicenter. Series of ocean atmospheric and biological variables changed successively after the change of SST. The chain of causality between the tsunami and the changes in the local atmospheric conditions is suggested.