Does SW Monsoon Influence Total Suspended Matter Flux into the Arabian Sea?

Raghavan, B.R. and Chauhan, O.S., 2013. Does SW monsoon influence total suspended matter flux into the Arabian Sea? Seasonal enhancement in the flux of total suspended matter (TSM) has been attributed to climatology of the SW monsoon (SWM) in time-series trap experiments conducted in the Arabian Sea. To determine the influence of climate on TSM flux, synoptic variations in TSM have been obtained and evaluated during the SWM and the pre- and the postmonsoon seasons over the continental margin of the SE Arabian Sea during 2007. High TSM during the SWM (>82 mg l−1) over the entire inner shelf was found. Contrary to the distribution over the inner shelf, there occurs uniformly low TSM (12–24 mg l−1) over the entire outer shelf (water depth >30 m) year round. Therefore it is proposed that the higher fluvial flux during the SWM does not necessarily enhance the supply of TSM into the offshore regions of the SE Arabian Sea.