Temperature distribution in the upper layers of the northern and eastern Arabian Sea during Indo-Soviet monsoon experiment

Abstract

Scientific cruises were Carried out by the ships of the Indian Navy along one zonal section (along 20 degrees N Lat.) and one meridional section, (along 71 degrees-30 degrees E Long.) in the Arabian Sea during May, June and July 1973 under the Indo-Soviet Monsoon Experiment (ISMEX). Using the bathythermograph data collected in those cruises, vertical distribution of temperature in the upper 275 metres was studied. Along the zonal section, east of 67 degrees E meridian, the depth of thermocline was found to increase gradually from about 20-30 m in May to 40-50 m in July. Significant, fall (of about 1 degrees C) in the temperature of the surface waters along the meridional section was observed from May to July. Along this section, in July the mixed layer developed well compared to May and the depth of thermocline increased from less than 40 m in the northern part to about 70 m in the southern part.