棉兰老岛至新几内亚海域是全球海洋环流最复杂的区域之一。纵观其环流，最显著的特征是：在上层，北赤道流（NEC）和南赤道流（SEC）通过棉兰老海流（MC）和新几内亚海流（NGCC/NGCUC）在这里交汇，产生北赤道逆流(NECC)和印度尼西亚贯穿流（ITF）流出这一海域；在次表层，则有东向的赤道潜流(EUC)和北向的棉兰老潜流（MUC）同样流出这一海域。目前为止，该海区的海洋环流和水团仍存在着许多尚未解决的科学问题。本申请拟通过海上试验观测，结合数值模式，揭示南、北赤道流交汇过程和该区域海洋环流的结构、变异与机理。该研究对理解暖池变异及其在ENSO和季风过程中的作用，进而对提高海洋环境和气候预测水平具有重要意义。

Ocean circulation in the area between the Mindanao Is. and New Guinea is so complex that there are many unsolved scientific problems on the structure of the water masses and currents and their relationship. The overall circulation picture in this region is as follows. The North Equatorial Current (NEC) and South Equatorial Current (SEC) are confluent through the Mindanao Current (MC) and New Guinea Coastal Current/Undercurrent (NGCC/NGCUC), while the NECC and Indonesia Throughflow (ITF) in the upper layer as well as the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) and Mindanao Undercurrent (MUC) in the lower layer flow out. There are still some scientific issues unsolved on the ocean circulation and water mass in this region. The proposed project aims to understand the NEC/SEC confluence process and to reveal the structure/variability and its mechanism of the ocean circulation in this region through observation and numerical modeling. The study of this program is important to understand the warm pool variability as well as its role in ENSO and monsoon, hence to improve the prediction of the marine environment and climate.