IPB and French Research Team Successfully Measure ARLINDO Halmahera

For the first time, the measurement of Arus Lintas Indonesia (Arlindo – The Indonesian throughflow) that move through the Halmahera Sea has been successfully carried out by the Marine team of Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB – Bogor Agricultural University) in collaboration with LOCEAN and Legos Team of France. This activity is part of the implementation of research cooperation program carried out by  both parties in Indomix program which started in 2010.

 

The Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) measures the speed and direction of ocean currents using the principle of “Doppler shift”. The instrument had been installed at a depth of 650 m in the Strait Jailolo (between Gebe and Tanjung Patani) in Halmahera Sea since July 2010, and it had successfully been removed in early March 2016. Thus, the data as result of ocean currents over five years are expected to provide important information regarding the flow rate of Arlindo, particularly its characteristics and variability.

 

The initial results of Halmahera Arlindo measurements is eagerly awaited by the community of national and international marine researchers, because the Arlindo data in this region is still unavailable. ”The result of this mooring is expected to contribute significantly to the advancement of scientific knowledge and better understanding about Arlindo Halmahera, as reference data of field works on this areas are hardly could be found, ” said Chairman of IPB team, Agus Atmadipoera.

 

Direct data of measurements collected will become references for various purposes, such as the validation of the marine model designed by various research centres, to estimate the flows of water in the mixed layer that enter or leave the warm pool of Pacific entered into the waters of entering into the interior of Indonesia to observe the effect of oceans on the physical climate, ocean health and marine ecology. (Wied)