Seasonal Variation of the Indonesian Throughflow in Makassar Strait

AbstractThe seasonal variation of Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) transport is investigated using ocean general circulation model experiments with the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Twenty-eight years (1981–2008) of ⅓° Indo-Pacific basin HYCOM simulations and three years (2004–06) from a global HYCOM simulation are analyzed. Both models are able to simulate the seasonal variation of upper-ocean currents and the total transport through Makassar Strait measured by International Nusantara Stratification and Transport (INSTANT) moorings reasonably well. The annual cycle of upper-ocean currents is then calculated from the Indo-Pacific HYCOM simulation. The reduction of southward currents at Makassar Strait during April–May and October–November is evident, consistent with the INSTANT observations. Analysis of the upper-ocean currents suggests that the reduction in ITF transport during April–May and October–November results from the wind variation in the tropical Indian Ocean through the generation of a Wyr...