The warm and salty Southwest Madagascar Coastal Current influences upwelling that supports rich marine ecosystems along the southern coast.
Indian Ocean
Posted inNews
Nutrient-Rich Water Around Seamounts Lures Top Predators
At an Indian Ocean marine refuge, tides drive cold water laden with nutrients onto the tops of underwater mountains, where it sustains a long food chain that culminates in sharks, tuna, and seabirds.
Posted inNews
Seafloor Data from Lost Airliner Search Are Publicly Released
Detailed maps of the bottom of the Indian Ocean reveal deep canyons and landslides but no wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which went missing in 2014.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
What Makes the Biggest Cycle in Tropical Weather Tick?
The Madden-Julian Oscillation drives storms across the Indian and Pacific oceans every 30 to 60 days. New research suggests that clouds absorbing and reemitting radiative energy play a key role.
Posted inScience Updates
Geological Insights from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Search
A rich trove of marine geophysical data acquired in the search for missing flight MH370 is yielding knowledge of ocean floor processes at a level of detail rare in the deep ocean.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Deciphering the Bay of Bengal's Tectonic Origins
New magnetic and gravity data suggest that the boundary between continental and oceanic crust lies beneath northern Bangladesh, along the line of an Early Cretaceous spreading center.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
An Ancient Sea Once Separated the Pacific and Indian Oceans
Seafloor under the hypothesized East Asian Sea vanished 10 million years ago as surrounding plates swallowed it up, according to new reconstructions of plate tectonics in the Philippine Sea region.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Massive Ancient Tectonic Slab Found Below the Indian Ocean
Scientists discover a surprisingly positioned tectonic plate, buried below the southern Indian Ocean, that spans the entire mantle.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
An Unprecedented View of Biogeochemistry off India's West Coast
Yearlong study reveals seasonal changes in oxygen levels, nutrient availability, and plankton growth.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Radar Study Examines Pulsing Tropical Climate
In the Madden-Julian Oscillation, shear forces caused by air layers slipping and sliding near the equator play a critical role in forming enormous thunderstorms and monsoons.