This grant is to model the influence of the Indonesian throughflow on the life cycle of El Nino - Southern Oscillation events. The Pacific discharges a net flow (of still undetermined amount) of warm, low salinity water into the Indian Ocean. Superimposed on this flow there is an annual flux and reflux of water driven by the seasonal monsoons. Every few years, the warm water accumulating in the Western Pacific sloshes back into the eastern equatorial region producing an El Nino. This work will elucidate the role of the semi-permeable boundary formed by the Indonesian Archipelago in maintaining the balance of water in and out of the Western Equatorial Pacific.
