NICOP - Archipelagic Circulation from PhilEx Data
Abstract
Project Summary: The Philippine archipelago (117oE-128oE, 0oN-14oN) poses a challenge in understanding circulation dynamics due to its complex topography and its seasonal variability in terms of strong winds and surface circulation. From June 2007 to March 2009, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) sponsored a Department Research Initiative (DRI) called the Philippine Straits Dynamics Experiment (PhilEx), which involved US and Philippine participants (Gordon and Villanoy, 2011) in the program to address this challenge. Analysis of the data from the PhilEx cruises can resolve the stratification and circulation patterns of waters in the archipelagic setting under varied forcing conditions. The resultant models can enhance the current understanding of the oceanography of the Philippine waters that can be compared to other archipelagic regions for a global understanding of these systems. Possible applications of the derived information from the cruises are in alignment with one of S&T’s major component Discovery and Invention program. These applications include marine resource management (in the Philippines and other archipelagos), marine safety, and prediction of marine pollution dispersion. Although several insights to the archipelagic circulation have been detailed in publications resulting from PhilEx, there are still so much data to be analyzed. Areas with interesting features to be resolved and focused on include the Mindoro-Panay-Tablas Pass triple junction and Sibuyan Sea. For this project, previous collaborators from PhilEx will still be consulted and will collaborate with the Filipino proponents. These include Craig Lee (Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington) for the triaxus data, Burt Jones (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) for the optics data), Arnold Gordon (Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory) and Pierre Flament (School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii) for the CTD and sediment core data. The desired outcome of this project includes journal article publications and two Master’s theses.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2016
- Source ID
- N629091512062
Entities
People
- Cesar Villanoy
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy