Implementation of Indonesian–U.S. Collaboration through Indonesia Program Initiative on Marine Observation and Analysis (PRIMA)

Implementation of Indonesia-USA Collaboration through Indonesia PRIMA (Program Initiative on Marine Observation and Analysis)

Andi Eka Sakya⁽¹⁾, Nelly F. Riama⁽¹⁾

⁽¹⁾The Agency for Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics, Republic of Indonesia

Indonesia is an archipelagic country. Thus, maritime (weather and climate) information plays an important role in various activities. The mandate to disseminate maritime (weather and climate) information is tasked to the Agency for Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG), as stipulated in the Law of Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics (31/2009). Under the same Law, daily operational activity related to producing the information is being conducted, among others: observation, processing and dissemination of maritime (weather and climate) related information. Apart from daily data acquisition through on-site observation at various places of locations, a new program so-called Indonesia PRIMA (Indonesia Program initiative on Maritime Observation and Analysis) has been initiated.

Indonesia PRIMA is part of BMKG – NOAA bilaterally collaboration in ocean and climate observation and analysis under the Indonesia–USA Mutual of Understanding on Ocean Science Technology. This activity has been started since 2014 and continues until next five years on a regular for each year. Within this program BMKG provides a ship time for maintaining RAMA mooring buoy (ATLAS) in Indian ocean and a field campaign to collect more data in Marine Meteorology, Oceanography, Geophysics, and Air Quality Survey.

In 2017, the Indonesia PRIMA successfully represent the oceanic features of the Eastern Indian Ocean obtained by their CTD and ADCP data such as the guessed water mass of Indonesian Trough Flow that penetrated further into Indian Ocean jointly with South Equatorial Current (SEC).

The sub surface oceanic features during MJO event 22-28 Feb 2017 was also explored during the cruise. The data obtained from the survey also confirms the existence of Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) and its characteristics along with the latitudinal feature of the Eastern Indian Ocean.

Keyword: Indian Ocean, Observation, EUC, CTD, ADCP.