CTD data collected as part of the resolution of the throughflow transport and velocity field across the central passages of the Indonesian Seas from 1998-02-19 to 1998-03-05 (NCEI Accession 0000074)

Arlindo is an acronym for Arus Lintas Indonesia, meaning 'Indonesian throughflow' in Bahasa Indonesia. The Arlindo program is a joint oceanographic research endeavor of Indonesia and the United States, designed to study the circulation and mixing of waters within the Indonesian seas. The field phase of Arlindo began in 1993 with Arlindo Mixing after many years of developing the necessary relationships and procedures with Indonesian scientists and government agencies.

Inter-ocean transport within the Indonesian Seas is the primary means of exporting excess freshwater from the North Pacific Ocean. The efficiency of this transfer dictates to a large measure the meridional overturning of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and perhaps of the global thermohaline "conveyor belt" circulation. The Indonesian throughflow is relevant to ENSO as it allows "seepage" of the western Pacific's warm pool water into the Indian Ocean, adjusting the volume of the warm pool. Furthermore the regionally intense tidal induced mixing may govern to some extent the SST and sea-air coupling, with feedback on ENSO. These mixing processes enhance buoyancy fluxes, inducing locally strong upwelling and influencing the circulation pattern.

Arlindo Goal: to resolve the circulation and water mass stratification within the Indonesian Seas in order to formulate a thorough description of the source, spreading patterns, inter-ocean transport and dominant mixing processes within the Indonesian Seas. Such products are used for the development of regional and global ocean circulation models; large scale coupled ocean/atmosphere models sufficient for prediction of climate and global change; understanding of the environmental conditions within the Indonesian Seas and improved understanding of the factors that affect primary productivity within Indonesian waters.

Arlindo Objectives: The specific objectives of Arlindo are incorporated in each of its three phases:

Arlindo Mixing (Aug 1993 and Feb 1994): to identify the source and pathways of the throughflow and to define the mixing enroute, for both monsoons.

Arlindo Circulation (20 Nov-15 Dec 1996 and 17 Feb-7 Mar 1998): to resolve the throughflow transport and velocity field across the central passages of the Indonesian Seas; extend the Arlindo 1993/94 CTD/CFC coverage both temporally, to 1996/97 and regionally, to the eastern Banda Sea.

Arlindo Monitoring (1998 to 2007): provide a long term data set of the throughflow to enable study at time scales of ENSO events.