Quantification of tidal mixing in the Indonesian Archipelago and its impact on the global climate

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26257208
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Meteorology/Physical oceanography/Hydrology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: HIBIYA TOSHIYUKI 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 教授 (80192714)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 木田 新一郎 九州大学, 応用力学研究所, 准教授 (50543229) ; 升本 順夫 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 教授 (60222436)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 乱流混合 / 潮汐流 / インドネシア通過流 / 全球気候 / 投下式乱流計

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Indonesia Throughflow (ITF) is thought to induce changes of sea surface temperature (SST) and water-mass transformation in the Indonesian Sea and hence control the basin-scale climate change. In the present study, a high-resolution numerical experiment is carried out to quantify tidal mixing in the Indonesian Archipelago and its effect on the ITF. The validity of the calculated results is confirmed through the comparison with the results of previous microstructure observations. It is shown that significant changes of SST and water-mass transformation occur along the eastern route of the ITF caused by vertical mixing associated with breaking of internal tides near constricted channels as well as horizontal mixing associated with sub-mesoscale eddies with diameters of several kilometers.

Free Research Field

海洋物理学