Current Measurements in the Maluku Sea

A current meter mooring was deployed in the eastern Indonesian archipelago, in the Maluku Sea, between the islands of Sulawesi and Halmahera, to contribute to estimates of the volume of the Indonesian Throughflow, for 13 months (June 1993-July 1994), with meters located at 740, 1250, 1750, and 2240 m below the surface. Hydrocasts for salinity and temperature were made at the time of deployment. The current meter and hydrographic data indicate a predominantly southward flow at the upper three meters throughout the year and a steady northward flow at the bottom meter. T-S and oxygen properties below 1800 m indicate a clockwise circulation in the Maluku Sea, with a vertical velocity of about 2 m/d. If the currents at the mooring, which is located on the western side of the Maluku Sea, are typical of the entire basin width, the average southward through flow between 740 m and 1500 m below the surface, 7 Sv (1 Sv = 106 m3/s ), is comparable in magnitude with estimates of upper layer transport and should be accounted for in estimates of the Indonesian Throughflow.