Discussion
Changes of
Current Direction during the end of January 2004?
Phytoplankton Bloom at Northern Borneo
MODIS Aqua Chlorophyll a
- Dominant Southwest direction
current along the coast
- Cloudy during
December 2003
- In November,
Chlorophyll a was high in along coast of Brunei and southern southwestern
Sabah, and inside the Brunei Bay. Most of the east coast of Sabah was
moderate.
- In Jan 2004, Northern
tip of Sabah and its west coast at Sandakan showed increasing chlorophyll
a concentration. The advection of the coastal high chlorophyll a water can
be clearly observed.
- There was high
possibility that the red tide will spread along the coast of Borneo
following the southwest current.
Changes of Current Direction during the end of January
2004?
MODIS Aqua Chlorophyll a
- Big blooming occurred off Brunei and Kota
Kinabaru (25 Jan – 1 Feb 2004)
- The advection of high chlorophyll a water off
Brunei seem to be at the opposite direction of the normal southwest a long
shore current
- The high chlorophyll water can still be
observed until the following week
Upwelling at northern Borneo?
MODIS Aqua Sea Surface Temperature

|
1-8 Jan 2004
|

|
9-16 Jan 2004
|
- During early
January, coastal water along Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak is basically warm.
Slight cooler water off Kudat and the eastern coast of Sabah.
- The following week,
a cooler branch of water appear off Kudat that extended off shore towards
southwest direction
- This cooler area was
coincident with the higher chlorophyll a content at MODIS images.
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