VARIABILITY OF HEAT AND FRESHWATER TRANSPORTS IN INDONESIAN SEAS DURING TRIPLE-DIP LA NIñA

• Main Author: Adyan Fekranie, Naffisa
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/79567
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) plays an important role in the global heat and freshwater balance. As one of the main pathways for the transport of water mass from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean, the ITF is highly influenced by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Since 1950, four triple-dip La Niña events have occurred, which is a cold phase of ENSO that lasts for three consecutive years. In this study, the influence of triple-dip La Niña on the variability of heat and freshwater transport in the Indonesian Seas was analyzed using sea model data from the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS). Two triple-dip La Niña events with different characteristics, namely 1998-2001 and 2020-2023, were studied to identify their influence on the variability of heat and freshwater transport in the Makassar Strait, Lombok Strait, Flores Sea, Banda Sea, Ombai Strait, and Timor Gap. The results of the study showed that the total value of freshwater and heat transport during the 2020-2023 triple-dip La Niña period was higher than during the 1998-2001 triple-dip La Niña period with an average increase of 0.086 Sv and 0.093 PW. The characteristics of heat transport during the 1998-2001 triple-dip La Niña generally have similarities with Super El Niño to Multiyear La Niña (SE2ML), while heat transport during the 2020-2023 triple-dip La Niña in the eastern study area has similarities with Central Pacific El Niño to Multiyear La Niña (CPE2ML). The strengthening pattern of total freshwater transport tends to vary more than heat transport. However, similar patterns were generally found at depths of 400-1000 m during the June-August period, where in 1998-2001 it was opposite to the strengthening of SE2ML and in 2020-2023 it was opposite to the strengthening of CPE2ML.