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Long-Term Ocean Climate Observations (LOCO)

EASTERN INDONESIA

Through the Indonesian seas exchange of water takes place between the tropical Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. In the upper 800 m the main path of this inter-ocean exchange is situated in Makassar Strait between the Islands of Sulawesi and Kalimantan. In the Lifamatola Passage east of Sulawesi deep Pacific water enters the Indonesian seas over a sill of about 2000m depth. The Indonesian Through-Flow (ITF) Water leaves the Indonesian seas towards the Indian Ocean through passages between the islands of the Sunda Island Arc of the Banda Sea. Model experiments have shown that the ITF has a strong influence on the hydrography and climate of Indonesia and the tropical Indian Ocean. It probably contributes the global overturning or thermohaline circulation. However, long term measurements of the Indonesian through-flow are scarce and hardly cover a single year. They mainly concern the inflow through Makassar Strait. Scientists from 5 countries (Indonesia, U.S., Australia, the Netherlands and France) have initiated the INSTANT research program to monitor simultaneously the inflow in the Makassar Strait and Lifamatola Passage and the outflow through Lombok Strait, Ombai Strait and the Timor Passage. In December 2003 and January 2004 instrumented moorings were deployed in these passages.

Fig. Schematic of Indonesian Throughflow pathways (red numbers represent previously determined transport in Sv (106 m3/s); the smaller black numbers refer to literature sources, see: Gordon, 2001). Inserts A-D show positions of INSTANT moorings. Insert A: 2 United States Makassar Strait Inflow moorings (red diamond). Insert C: The Netherlands mooring within the main channel of Lifamatola Passage (yellow triangle). Insert B, D: Sunda moorings in Ombai Strait, Lombok Strait, and Timor Passage: United States (red diamonds); France, (purple square); Australia (green circles). The positions of the shallow pressure gauge array (United States, green X).

List of Research Cruises:   ·         Eastern Indonesia [ - ] (Note: part of the INSTANT cruise) - RV Baruna Jaya I (December 2006)   ·         Eastern Indonesia [ - ] - RV Baruna Jaya I (July 2005)   ·         Eastern Indonesia [ - ] - RV Baruna Jaya I (January 2004)