Bhubaneswar, January 9, 2018: The Bay of Bengal Coastal Observatory(BoBCO) which will be established at Laudigaon in Ganjam district will be a
state-of-the-art research facility with a vision to collect, analyse, archive
and disseminate time-series observations of various important physical,
chemical and biological variables in an integrated way (Earth-Ocean-
Atmosphere-Land) on a long term basis.
The Bay of Bengal (BoB) is a unique basin which receives a large
freshwater input along its northern boundary form Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna
(GBM) and Irawatti-Sittang-Solveen (ISS) river systems, said communiqué issued
by Special Relief Commissioner.
freshwater input along its northern boundary form Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna
(GBM) and Irawatti-Sittang-Solveen (ISS) river systems, said communiqué issued
by Special Relief Commissioner.
This river runoff is accentuated by Monsoon precipitation during June
through August every year.
through August every year.
The freshwater influx forms a barrier layer in the very top layers of
the northern basin which gets modified and advected by coastal currents
(primarily, the East India Coastal Current, EICC) and eddies to reach the
central bay by October.
the northern basin which gets modified and advected by coastal currents
(primarily, the East India Coastal Current, EICC) and eddies to reach the
central bay by October.
A part of this freshwater plume head out to the Arabian Sea (advected
along the EICC) in November- December and becomes part of the productive coastal
ecosystem in both basins (BoB and Arabian Sea).
along the EICC) in November- December and becomes part of the productive coastal
ecosystem in both basins (BoB and Arabian Sea).
The advection of this freshwater layer helps raise the heat storage in
the upper layer of the central Bay, where the conditions for cyclogenesis
develops during October through December.
the upper layer of the central Bay, where the conditions for cyclogenesis
develops during October through December.
The atmospheric circulation instabilities set up the tropical cyclones
during this time which find their way to the Indian subcontinent.
during this time which find their way to the Indian subcontinent.
The signature of the river discharge are minimum during February-March,
when the springtime warming by sun begins and the summer depressions on the Bay
starts in April-May due to land-ocean-atmosphere interactions.
when the springtime warming by sun begins and the summer depressions on the Bay
starts in April-May due to land-ocean-atmosphere interactions.
It is important to understand the details of these processes in a
systematic way using observations, models and theoretical, field and numerical
experiments.
systematic way using observations, models and theoretical, field and numerical
experiments.
However, the BoB is a data sparse region particularly with respect to
continuous time series observations of multiple oceanic and atmospheric
parameters, owing to various reasons.
continuous time series observations of multiple oceanic and atmospheric
parameters, owing to various reasons.
The Bay of Bengal Coastal Observatory (BoBCO), will be developed as a
national facility to carry out the research and develop activity for the
benefit of the nation.
national facility to carry out the research and develop activity for the
benefit of the nation.
