SECALIS 2
| Type | Oceanographic cruise |
|---|---|
| Set | This cruise is part of the set SECALIS |
| Ship | Alis |
| Ship owner | IRD |
| Dates | 07/12/2004 - 22/12/2004 |
| Chief scientist(s) | GANACHAUD Alexandre |
IRD CENTRE DE NOUMEA 101 promenade Roger Laroque BP A5 98848 NOUMEA CEDEX (+687) 26 10 00 |
|
| DOI | 10.17600/4100110 |
| Objective | The focus here is on climate signal pathways taken by the South Pacific Ocean. The large scale circulation of the southwestern Pacific shows a related westward flow related to the SEC (South Equatorial Current) which is far from being spatially homogenous. It is divided by the topographical obstacles of New Caledonia, the Fiji and Vanuatu islands which concentrate it into several veins. The veins go to Australia. One part, mainly to the south of New Caledonia's latitude, branches off towards the South to feed the East Australian Current; the other part forks toward the North, flow along the Australian coast and Papua New Guinea before feeding back into the Equatorial Undercurrent. These zonal jets were only discovered quite recently. Until now, they have not really been studied. The SECALIS cruises, accompanied by numerical studies which gave better understanding of jet dynamics related to the large scale environment and seasonal, interannual and decadal time scales. Climate variations over large time scales are a great priority for major research organizations (www.clivar.org). The CLIVAR program specifically recommends that boundary currents be studied at low latitudes. A detailed description of the circulation around New Caledonia is also a prerequisite for regional modeling (MERCATOR project and the "modeling coastal circulation around New Caledonia and French Polynesia" supported the Overseas Ministry). |
