Seasonal and spatial variation of surface current in the Pemba Channel, Tanzania

PLoS One. 2019 Jan 7;14(1):e0210303. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210303. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

The surface current speeds within the Pemba channel were examined using 24 years of drifter data received from the Global Drifter Program. This study aimed to uncover varying surface current in the Pemba Channel in different seasons. The results revealed the Pemba Channel experiences relatively higher median surface current speeds during the southeast (SE) monsoon season compared to the northeast (NE) and inter-monsoon (IN) periods. The strongest current speeds were confined in waters deeper than 200 meters between ~39.4°E and 39.7°E. These results prove that surface currents from the drifters can be used to uncover the patterns of surface circulation even in areas where in-situ measurements are scarce.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Seasons*
  • Seawater / chemistry*
  • Spatio-Temporal Analysis*
  • Tanzania
  • Water Movements*

Grants and funding

The Office of Naval Research provided a financial support for author Masumbuko Semba for a fellowship at at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.