The Limited Effect of Typhoons on Phytoplankton Dynamics Observed by BGC-Argo

Typhoons are assumed to stimulate ocean primary production through the upward mixing of nutrients into the surface ocean, based largely on observations of increased surface chlorophyll concentrations following the passage of typhoons. This surface chlorophyll enhancement, seen on occasion by satellites, more often is undetected due to intense cloud coverage. We use daily data from a BGC-Argo profiling float to reveal the upper-ocean response to Typhoon Trami in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. Temperature and chlorophyll changed rapidly, with a significant drop in sea surface temperature and surge in surface chlorophyll associated with strong vertical mixing, consistent with previous satellite observations. However, no net increase in vertically integrated chlorophyll was observed during Typhoon Trami or in its wake. Contrary to the prevailing dogma, our findings show that typhoons likely have limited effect on net ocean primary production. Observed surface chlorophyll enhancements during and immediately following typhoons in tropical and subtropical waters are more likely associated with surface entrainment of deep chlorophyll maxima. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that remote sensing data alone overestimate the impact of storms on primary production in all oceans. Full understanding of the impact of storms on upper ocean productivity can only be achieved with ocean observing robots dedicated to high-resolution temporal sampling in the path of storms.