Marine experts still puzzled by 'warm pool'

Marine experts still puzzled by 'warm pool'

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian and foreign scientists said yesterday
that they are still puzzled by the "warm pool" phenomena found in
the Pacific Ocean that has altered climatic conditions in the
region in recent years.

What is certain so far is that land and water areas close to
the "warm pool" region experience prolonged rainy seasons,
floods, a decline in fish production and a rise in agriculture
production.

On the contrary, land and water areas far from such a region
experience prolonged drought, forest fires and rising fish
production, said M.T. Zen, a deputy chairman of the Indonesian
Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology.

Zen was one of the speakers at the workshop on studies in sea
currents in and around Indonesian waters which was jointly
organized by the agency and Japan Marine Science and Technology
Center.

Around 100 marine experts from Indonesia, Japan, the United
States, Australia, Britain, France and the Netherlands took part
in the two-day discussion to discuss recent research on oceanic
current in Indonesian waters. The discussion closed yesterday.

Whatever causes this phenomena, the experts agree that it is
linked to the El Nino Southern Oscillation.

Japan Marine Science and Technology Center director Masataka
Hishida said the warm pool is an oceanic current that moves along
the equator in the Pacific Ocean, starting at the west coast of
South America to the Indonesian archipelago, and then returning
to South America.

"But how it (the warm pool) is formed or what factors formed
it still need further studies and research," Hishida said, citing
that the marine center and the Japanese Meteorological Agency has
conducted a study on the warm pool since 1993.

Zen said a recent research by international marine experts
made significant progress in the warm pool studies.

The study found warm pool regions, where temperatures are
higher than the waters around them, occurring around Banda
Island, the Makassar Strait and in waters south of Java and Nusa
Tenggara islands. (rms)