Analysis of sea conditions for manned submersible operation in Southwest Indian Ocean

Abstract

The southwest Indian Ocean is an important area for deep-sea investigation and exploration. In this paper, the spatial distribution and temporal variation characteristics of wave elements in the sea area were analyzed by using the high resolution reanalysis data (ERA) from the European Center, the optimal path set of tropical cyclones provided by the Joint Warning Center (JTWC) and the global ocean circulation model (OFES). The results show that the monthly mean effective wave height in the southwest Indian Ocean is relatively large, ranging from 3.5m to 5.5m. the wave season is relatively stable, with the highest mean wave height in winter and the lowest mean wave height in summer; The frequency of tropical cyclones is higher in summer and autumn and lower in winter; The most suitable operation time of manned submersible in the southwest Indian Ocean is from November to march of the next year, and other time needs to select good sea conditions for operation.