Seasonal Characteristics of Sea Surface Temperature and Sea Surface Currents in the Strait of Malacca and Andaman Sea

Abstract

This study presents 33 years of satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) data on the Strait of Malacca and Andaman Sea obtained from the Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer.The data on sea surface currents data were obtained from the global ocean model, the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model.Since the area that was studied is influenced by Asian monsoons -the Northeast and Southwest Monsoons -this study aims to describe the seasonal variations of SST and current circulation in the region.The seasonal SST from this study showed that the SST of the Strait of Malacca was warmer than the Andaman Sea during the Southwest Monsoon.The current circulation during both seasons flowed north-westward.The special feature found in this study is the formation of a seasonal thermal front during the Southwest Monsoon.It was based on the calculation of the horizontal SST gradient between two transects in the Andaman Sea and the Strait of Malacca.The temperature was warmer in the Strait of Malacca and cooler in the Andaman Sea due to prevailing winds that bring heavy precipitation to the region.This study provides useful information on the Strait of Malacca and Andaman Sea that may be important for Malaysia's future climate and weather predictions.