Persistence of high sea surface temperature (> 30°C) in Tomini Bay

Abstract

Hot Event is a phenomenon with high sea surface temperature > 30°C, which can influence the global climate. Tomini Bay which is categorized as the semi-enclosed waters have the daily appearance of SST >30°C. The purpose of this research is to investigate and determine the mechanism for the occurrence of high and constant SST (>30°C) in Tomini Bay. We found that the phenomenon of constant high SST (> 30°C) in Tomini Bay is influenced by the weak wind speed by less than 4 m/s. The existence of Sulawesi topography and the Togian Islands block the incoming wind and reduce the wind speed. Moreover, the percentage of SST (>30°C) in the middle of Tomini Bay higher than in the western area of Tomini Bay. This might be influenced by the shallow bathymetry in the middle of the Tomini Bay which increases the effectiveness of the heating process in this area.