Identification of the effect of the Asia-Australian monsoon on the variability of ITF’S transport value in the Flores Sea

Abstract

The Flores Sea is one of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) paths from the North Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. Its position on the monsoon axis makes the atmospheric circulation and oceanography in this region strongly influenced by the Asian-Australian Monsoon system. Therefore, this study aims to examine the condition of ITF’s seasonal variations due to the influence of the Asia-Australia Monsoon wind as a form of the ocean and atmosphere interaction. The meteorological parameter data used is the zonal wind (u) 10 m, while the oceanographic parameter data use reanalysis of currents and temperature at a depth of 0-300 m. The method used to identify the relationship between parameters is a comparative analysis of the spatial distribution of 3-monthly average results (December-January-February, March-April-May, June-July-August, September-October-November) and correlation analysis of monthly average results. The results showed that the maximum ITF’s transport in the Flores Sea in the Australia Monsoon (JJA) was 1.14 Sv and the minimum during the Asia Monsoon (DJF) was 0.74 Sv, and there was an opposite relationship between the zonal wind (u) and ITF’s transport of -0.47 (moderate correlation).