Characteristics of Water Mass in The Flores Sea: The Effect of The ITF on The Transitional Season
Engki A. Kisnarti (a*), Ima Nurmalia Permatasari (a), Dwi Sukma Wahyuni (b)

(a) Program of Oceanography, Faculty of Engineering and Marine Science, Hang Tuah University, Surabaya-Indonesia
*engki.andri[at]hangtuah.ac.id
(b) Student of Oceanography Study Program, Faculty of Engineering and Marine Science, Hang Tuah University, Surabaya-Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesian Through Flow (ITF) forms a distinctive water mass characteristics in Indonesian Sea Waters. This mass of water enters through the Makassar Strait to the Banda Sea by crossing the Flores Sea. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of the water masses in the Flores Sea during the transitional season. In analyzing the type of water mass using the T-S diagram the results of data processing using Matlab. This study used CTD data from the Jala Citra Expedition 3-2023 in the Flores Sea waters organized by the Indonesian Navy^s Hydro-Oceanographic Center. Processing data was taken April-May 2023, there were 5 station points. The results of the data Jala Citra 3-2023 which were analyzed using the T-S diagram contained 3 types of characteristics of the first water mass, Bengal Bay Water (BBW) starting from the surface to a depth of 70 m. Second, the characteristics of the Eastern South Pacific Central Water (ESPCW) water mass, while the minimum extreme value of the Flores Sea has a low salinity water mass value. Third, the water mass of Western South Pacific Central Water (WSPCW) was found. The origin of the water mass in the Flores Sea is from North Pacific Subtopical Water (NPSW) and North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW).

Keywords: Flores Sea, ITF, water mass characteristics

Topic: Ocean-Atmosphere Dynamics