Indonesian Throughflow

The Indonesian Throughflow is the net movement of water from the Pacific Ocean through the Indonesian seas into the Indian Ocean. It links the two basins and redistributes heat, salt, and other water properties.

Makassar Strait: A strait between Borneo and Sulawesi that carries the largest share of Indonesian Throughflow transport. It is the principal pathway for upper-ocean Pacific water crossing the Indonesian archipelago.
El Niño–Southern Oscillation: A recurring climate pattern involving ocean and atmospheric changes across the tropical Pacific. Its Pacific sea-level and wind changes alter the pressure gradient that drives the throughflow.
Agulhas Current: A strong western boundary current flowing southward along the southeastern coast of Africa. It receives water from the Indian Ocean into which the throughflow discharges.
Agulhas leakage: The transfer of Agulhas Current water into the South Atlantic through rings and filaments. It is another interocean exchange, but it carries water from the Indian to the Atlantic rather than Pacific to Indian.
Lombok Strait: A deep channel between Bali and Lombok connecting the Java Sea region with the Indian Ocean. It carries a substantial portion of the flow exiting the Indonesian seas.
Indian Ocean Dipole: A climate pattern marked by changing sea-surface temperature differences between the western and eastern tropical Indian Ocean. Its variability is linked to changes in Indian Ocean winds and throughflow conditions.
Global ocean conveyor belt: A simplified description of the global circulation linking surface and deep ocean waters. The throughflow is a major tropical passage in the wider interbasin circulation.
Bering Strait: A shallow passage connecting the Pacific and Arctic oceans between Alaska and Siberia. It links ocean basins in the opposite high-latitude setting, with much smaller transport.
Halmahera Sea: A sea in eastern Indonesia connecting the western Pacific with waters around the Indonesian archipelago. It provides an eastern pathway for Pacific waters entering the throughflow system.
Indonesian monsoon: The seasonal reversal of winds and rainfall across the Indonesian region. Seasonal winds affect currents and sea level within the throughflow passages.

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