ASIRI Project

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ASIRI DRI: Air-Sea Interactions in Northern Indian Ocean (2013-2017; continued as MISO-BOB)

Sponsor: Office of Naval Research, Physical Oceanography 322 PO (Grant Numbers: N00014-13-1-0199; N00014-15-1-278; N00014-16-1-2496)

The objective of this project is to understand subseasonal processes in the Northern Bay of Bengal (BOB) in the context of monsoonal dynamics, which include regional circulation and their space-time variability down to the scales of turbulence and mixing in the upper ocean that affect local air-sea fluxes. The project sought to collect hydrographic data sets in the international waters using R/V Revelle (US) and in Sri Lankan coastal waters using R/V Samuddrika (Sri Lankan). The measurements include thermohaline stratification, surface eddies and warm water pools, currents and its vertical/horizontal structure and kinetic energy dissipation rate. The Sri Lankan collaboration led to a large number of oceanic transects with CTD, ADCP and Vertical Microstructure Profiler (VMP) measurments in the eastern Sri Lanka using the R/V Samuddrika (Chief Scientist: Mr. Priyantha Jinadasa, supported by the project). These cruises were sometimes associated with the deployment of Gliders and PIES, in support of the activities of other ASIRI investigators.

Also expected from the project was a strong partnership with Sri Lankan scientists from the National Aquatic Resources Research Agency (NARA), who are conducting regular detailed transects across the East Indian Current segment along the Sri Lankan East coast (Sri Lanka Current) and with the Postgraduate Institute at the University of Peradeniya. In addition, the project provides support for the US scientists conducting research in the area, supported by ONR 322PO. Close collaboration is also maintained with the Naval Research Laboratory’s E-BOB Project (PI: Hemantha Wijesekera).

ASIRI (BAMS article)