Connecting the tropical Pacific with Indian Ocean through South China Sea

Analysis of wind data over the past 40 years and results from a high-resolution general circulation model has revealed the existence of a previously undescribed. circulation that connects the tropical Pacific with Indian Ocean. As a direct response to the Pacific wind, water of the Pacific origin enters the South China Sea through Luzon Strait, and from there part of the water continues southward into the Java Sea and returns to the Pacific through Makassar Strait. This circulation contains a strong signal of El Niño and Southern Oscillation and appears to have a notable impact on the Indonesian Throughflow heat transport. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.