Exploring the Indian Ocean using an ocean general circulation model

The southeastern Arabian Sea becomes unusually warm, compared to surrounding regions that receive similar amount of solar radiation, prior to the onset of the southwest monsoon and this mini warm pool is believed to be the crucial for the formation  of the monsoon onset vortex. Why does this part of the ocean warm preferentially? 

In certain years, the sea surface temperature in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean cools unusually and at the same time the western part gets warmer. This dipole pattern of anomalies affect the rainfall pattern over the ocean as well as over the bordering land mas.  What are the processes that cools the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean in certain years? 

Dynamics and thermodynamics of the North Indian Ocean are dictated by the seasonally reversing monsoons.   The eastern half of the Indian Ocean is warm and supports a highly convective atmosphere whereas the west, in contrast, is cooler and is capped by clear skies.  Ocean general circulation models that can simulate this mean state of the Indian Ocean and variability about it are powerful tools to answer questions such as those listed above.  In this talk, I shall share with you some of my experiences in understanding the Indian Ocean using an ocean model.