Throughflow within Makassar Strait

Abstract

From late November 1996 to early July 1998 velocity measurements were made at two moorings within a constriction in Makassar Strait near 3°S. The 1997 average throughflow is 9.3 Sv, with an uncertainty of about ±2.5 Sv depending on how the surface flow is taken into account. The results show that throughflow within Makassar Strait can account for all of the Pacific to Indian interocean transport. The correlation of transport to ENSO may be as high as 0.73, though the time series is too short to say this with assurance. Most of the remaining variance is explained by the annual cycle, with a June maximum and December minimum. A strong intra‐seasonal event occurs from late May to July, 1997.