Distinct Characteristics of SST Variabilities in the Sulawesi Sea and the Northern Part of the Maluku Sea during the Southeast Monsoon

The Sulawesi Sea and the northern part of the Maluku Sea belong to the western equatorial Pacific that is influenced by the Mindanao Current. During the southeast (SE) monsoon, contrasting sea surface temperature (SST) distributions occur between these two seas. The purpose of this research is to investigate the mechanisms of contrasting SST distribution in the Sulawesi Sea and the northern part of the Maluku Sea under the condition of strong southerly wind during the SE monsoon season. Our analysis was based on satellite observations. Warmer (colder) SSTs are identified in the Sulawesi Sea (northern part of the Maluku Sea), which correspond to the weaker (stronger) southerly wind speed. Strong southerly winds in the northern part of the Maluku Sea generate eastward Ekman mass transport (EMT) that carries the water mass away from the coast, inducing upwelling. In contrast, the southerly winds from the Maluku Sea are blocked by the Gorontalo and North Sulawesi Mountains, creating low-wind areas in the Sulawesi Sea that are located on the lee side of those mountains. Furthermore, the existence of a valley between those mountains acts as a wind gap that channels the southerly wind to the Sulawesi Sea. Since the seaward EMT is weak and the latent heat release is not dominant, SSTs in front of the wind gap are only slightly reduced, possibly through the mechanisms of oceanic mixing. © 2008-2012 IEEE.