Flow topography interactions around Sri Lanka and the Maldives

Flow topography interaction between the reversing monsoon currents of the Northern Indian Ocean and the islands of Maldives and Sri Lanka create an Island Mass Effect (IME). Using numerical modelling techniques and field observations, this thesis investigated the three-dimensional flow structure and variability of the IME at seasonal and interannual time scales. Results indicated that the location of the IME and connectivity of seasonal transport pathways around the northern end of the Maldives and Sri Lanka responded to the reversing monsoon currents. Increased wind forcing during negative Indian Ocean Dipole events intensified island wakes and upwelling processes, creating a stronger IME.