Temporal and spatial variation of surface heat flux in Makassar Strait

Abstract

Indonesian Seas have an important role on the sea-air interaction in Indo-Pacific region. Makassar Strait is located in the center of Indonesian Seas and part of Indonesian Throughflow (ITF), which has been influenced due to the coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon in Pacific and Indian Oceans, such as monsoon, El-Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). The temporal and spatial variation of surface heat flux in Makassar Strait has been evaluated using the multi satellite dataset from 1984-2009. The remote sensing data with resolution of 1° × 1° obtained from Objectively Analyzed air-sea Fluxes (OAFlux) produced by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The results show that there is a seasonal fluctuation of surface heat flux related to the wind monsoon. The variation of the shortwave radiation and latent heat flux give a large contribution to the net surface heat flux that associated with ENSO and IOD events. In Makassar Strait, the variation of shortwave radiation and sea surface temperature (SST) is in a good agreement with the El-Niño/La-Niña events. There is a time lag between surface heat fluxes with the ENSO events.