Hydrography of the Andaman sea during late Winter

179-189Distributions of temperature, salinity, density and dissolved oxygen during late winter in the Andaman Sea are presented by series of vertical sections and spatial distribution charts; study of the field of motion on dynamic computations is also included. Surface temperature exceeds 28°C over most of the northern Andaman Sea. Surface salinity increases from 31.0% in the northern regions to 32.8% in the southern regions. Density distribution in the upper 50 m is primarily controlled by the salinity distribution. Below the sill depth (1300 m), the water mass is characterized by uniform values of temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen. Geostrophic circulation in the upper layer indicates the formation of cells (100-200 km), and the upper layer dynamics seem to be governed by the fresh water discharge into the region