Premonsoonal water characteristics and cirulation in the east central Arabian sea

Abstract

The hydrographic structure in the east central Arabian Sea during premonsoon period undergoes significant temporal change in the thermal field of upper 100 m, wherein temperature rises by about 0.5 degrees C on an average from May to June. The major contribution in increasing the surface layer temperature comes from surface heat exchange processes, while the horizontal advective process tends to remove the heat from the upper layer. The geostrophic flow patterns are similar from May to June in the major part of the study area while in the coastal areas off Goa a southerly current sets in June in response to coastal upwelling.