Analysis of Equatorial Currents Observed by Eastern Indian Ocean Cruises in 2010 and 2011

Hydrographic and direct current measurements were made in the Eastern Equatorial Indian Ocean in May 2010 and April 2011 as part of the Eastern Indian Ocean Cruises (EIOC) organized by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO). Analyses of the ship-drift Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data indicate that the equatorial currents observed in May 2010 are characterized by a strongly eastward surface current (Wyrtki Jets, WJs) with a maximum velocity of 0.9 m s-1, while that observed in April 2011 is weak and without a consistent direction. The strongly eastward WJ transports the surface water eastward, resulting in a deeper upper mixed layer, as shown in the temperature and salinity profiles. However, it was found that the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) in the Eastern Indian Ocean is strong in April 2011 and weak in May 2010. The EUC was located approximately at the position of the thermocline, and it had higher salinity (up to approximately 35.5 psu) than the upper and lower waters.