Monitoring of generation and propagation of the Kuroshio small meander using sea level data along the southern coast of Japan

The occurrence of the small meander of the Kuroshio, generated south of Kyushu and propagating eastward, was examined using sea level data collected during 1961–1995 along the south coast of Japan. Intra-annual variation of the sea level was expanded by the frequency domain empirical orthogonal function (FDEOF) modes, and it was found that the second and third modes are useful for monitoring the generation and propagation of the small meander. The third FDEOF for periods of 10–100 days has a phase reversal between Hosojima and Tosa-shimizu with significant amplitude west of Kushimoto, and the amplitude of its time coefficient is large during the non-large-meander (NLM) period and has a significant peak when the small meander exists southeast of Kyushu. The second FDEOF for periods of 20–80 days has a phase reversal between Kushimoto and Uragami, and the amplitude of its time coefficient is large when the small meander propagates to the south of Shikoku. The third FDEOF mode allowed us to conclude that the small meander occurred 42 times from July 1961 to May 1995, most of them (38) occurring during the NLM periods. The second FDEOF mode permits the conclusion that half of the 38 small meanders reached south of Shikoku. Of these, five small meanders influenced transitions of the Kuroshio path from the nearshore NLM path; one caused the offshore NLM path and four brought about the large meander. About one-tenth of the total number of small meanders are related to the formation of the large meander.     

Influence of Mesoscale Eddies on Variations of the Kuroshio Path South of Japan

The influences of mesoscale eddies on variations of the Kuroshio path south of Japan have been investigated using time series of the Kuroshio axis location and altimeter-derived sea surface height maps for a period of seven years from 1993 to 1999, when the Kuroshio followed its non-large meander path. It was found that both the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies may interact with the Kuroshio and trigger short-term meanders of the Kuroshio path, although not all eddies that approached or collided with the Kuroshio formed meanders. An anticyclonic eddy that revolves clockwise in a region south of Shikoku and Cape Shionomisaki with a period of about 5–6 months was found to propagate westward along about 30°N and collide with the Kuroshio in the east of Kyushu or south of Shikoku. This collision sometimes triggers meanders which propagate over the whole region south of Japan. The eddy was advected downstream, generating a meander on the downstream side to the east of Cape Shionomisaki. After the eddy passed Cape Shionomisaki, it detached from the Kuroshio and started to move westward again. Sometimes the eddy merges with other anticyclonic eddies traveling from the east. Coalescence of cyclonic eddies, which are also generated in the Kuroshio Extension region and propagate westward in the Kuroshio recirculation region south of Japan, into the Kuroshio in the east of Kyushu, also triggers meanders which mainly propagate only in a region west of Cape Shionomisaki. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Variations of the Kuroshio Axis South of Kyushu in Relation to the Large Meander of the Kuroshio

The characteristics of the Kuroshio axis south of Kyushu, which meanders almost sinusoidally, are clarified in relation to the large meander of the Kuroshio by analyzing water temperature data during 1961–95 and sea level during 1984–95. The shape of the Kuroshio axis south of Kyushu is classified into three categories of small, medium, and large amplitude of meander. The small amplitude category occupies more than a half of the large-meander (LM) period, while the medium amplitude category takes up more than a half of the non-large-meander (NLM) period. Therefore, the amplitude and, in turn, the curvature of the Kuroshio axis is smaller on average during the LM period than the NLM period. The mean Kuroshio axis during the LM period is located farther north at every longitude south of Kyushu than during the NLM period, with a slight difference west of the Tokara Islands and a large difference to the east. A northward shift of the Kuroshio axis in particular east of the Tokara Islands induces small amplitude and curvature of the meandering shape during the LM period. During the NLM period, the meandering shape and position south of Kyushu change little with Kuroshio volume transport. In the LM formation stage, the variation of the Kuroshio axis is small west of the Tokara Islands but large to the east due to a small meander of the Kuroshio. In the LM decay stage, the Kuroshio meanders greatly south of Kyushu and is located stably near the coast southeast of Kyushu. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Index and Composites of the Kuroshio Meander South of Japan

Using the merged NOAA National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC)/Japan Oceanographic Data Center (JODC)/Marine Information Research Center (MIRC) historical hydrographic dataset, a new Kuroshio large meander (LM) index is introduced. This index helps to distinguish between the LM events and other types of Kuroshio Current (KC) variability south of Japan. Observations, re-systematized according to the index, provide composite patterns of typical formation and decay of the LM. The patterns reveal a remarkable similarity between individual LMs and support the deterministic rather than the stochastic model of LM evolution on a time-scale of one year. A “trigger” meander (TM) occurs on composite maps six months prior to the LM formation as a 1° latitude southward shift of the KC axis south of Kyushu. When propagating eastward along the coast of Japan, TM gradually increases in area. In principal the emergence of LM takes only one month. East of TM and LM a remarkable onshore shift of the KC is noticed, supplying the coastal region with warm water. Other warm anomalies are found on the warm side of KC next to the propagating TM and in the larger warm eddy area southeast of Kyushu. Different LMs survive for different times and decay in some months after KC “jumps” across the Izu Ridge. Changes of water properties on isopycnals in the interior of LM can be roughly described by two-layer kinematics with an interface at σ_θ = 27 which suggests a strong inflow of deep Kuroshio waters into the LM core during the formation of the latter. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Velocity structures and transports of the Kuroshio and the Ryukyu current during fall of 2000 estimated by an inverse technique

An inverse calculation using hydrographic section data collected from October to December 2000 yields velocity structure and transports of the Kuroshio in the Okinawa Trough region of the East China Sea (ECS) and south of central Japan, and of the Ryukyu Current (RC) southeast of the Ryukyu Islands. The results show the Kuroshio flowing from the ECS, through the Tokara Strait (TK), with a subsurface maximum velocity of 89 cm s⁻¹ at 460 dbar. In a section (TI) southeast of Kyushu, a subsurface maximum velocity of 92 cm s⁻¹ at 250 dbar is found. The results also show the RC flowing over the continental slope from the region southeast of Okinawa (OS) to the region east of Amami-Ohshima (AE) with a subsurface maximum velocity of 67 cm s⁻¹ at 400 dbar, before joining the Kuroshio southeast of Kyushu (TI). The volume transport around the subsurface velocity maximum southeast of Kyushu (TI) balances well with the sum of those in TK and AE. The temperature-salinity relationships found around these velocity cores are very similar, indicating that the same water mass is involved. These results help demonstrate the joining of the RC with the Kuroshio southeast of Kyushu. The net volume transport of the Kuroshio south of central Japan is estimated to be 64∼79 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 10⁶ m³s⁻¹), of which 27 Sv are supplied by the Kuroshio from the ECS and 13 Sv are supplied by the RC from OS. The balance (about 24∼39 Sv) is presumably supplied by the Kuroshio recirculation south of Shikoku, Japan.     

Hydrographic Features off the Southeast Coast of Kyushu during the Kuroshio Small Meanders: A Case Study for Small Meanders that Occurred in 1994 and 1995 Spring

Three Kuroshio small meanders off the southeast coast of Kyushu that occurred during 1994 to 1995 were investigated by using satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height (SSH) maps, World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) Hydrographic Program (WHP) repeat section and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) hydrographic observations. Based on the satellite data, we observed that the three small meanders are formed by different processes: the triggering and growth of these meanders are caused by a cyclonic eddy propagating from the Kuroshio recirculation region or Kuroshio front meanders traveling from the East China Sea. Investigation of the two small meanders in 1994 and 1995 spring that are captured by the WHP observation showed quite consistent hydrographic features. On the nearshore side of the meandering Kuroshio, a countercurrent appears, associated with vertically uniform upward lifts of the isopycnals from sea surface to bottom at the boundary between the countercurrent and the Kuroshio. In the countercurrent region, the waters in the density ranges of the North Pacific subtropical mode water (NPSTMW) and the North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) are more saline and less saline than typical waters that the Kuroshio carries in a non-small meander state, respectively. There are indications that high-salinity NPSTMW and low-salinity NPIW distributed off the Kuroshio was supplied to the countercurrent region. In the meandering Kuroshio flow, while there is no notable change in properties around the NPSTMW density range, salinity of the NPIW is significantly higher than that carried by the Kuroshio in a non-small meander state, but not higher than that in the Kuroshio at the Tokara Strait, which suggests that saline NPIW from the Tokara Strait, less mixed with low-salinity NPIW off the Kuroshio, may be carried by the meandering Kuroshio. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Influence of the Kuroshio Fluctuations on Sea Level Variations along the South Coast of Japan

The correlation between the Kuroshio and coastal sea level south of Japan has been examined using the altimetry and tide gauge data during the period 1992–2000. The sea level varies uniformly in a region bounded by the coast and the mean Kuroshio axis, which stretches for several hundred kilometers along the coast. These variations are related with the Kuroshio velocity, as coastal sea level decreases (or increases) when the Kuroshio is faster (or slower). To the east of the Kii Peninsula, where sea level variations are different from these to the west, movement of the Kuroshio axis additionally affects coastal sea level variations.     

Mesoscale variability along the east coast of India in spring as revealed from satellite data and OGCM simulations

Since mesoscale features like meanders have great importance in nourishing the coastal fisheries, satellite data analyses and a numerical modeling study were carried out for the east coast of India during spring inter-monsoon time (March-May), when biological productivity is high. During this time, the East India Coastal Current (EICC) system appears as a northward flowing western boundary current of a seasonal subtropical gyre in the Bay of Bengal prior to the summer monsoon with a more intense upwelling in the coastal region. A relatively clear sky permits satellite remote sensing of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), whose patterns were verified against geostrophic velocity in altimeter data: i.e., phytoplankton grows in colder and nutrient richer water bounded by the seaward meanders. Progression of meanders in the coastal current was revealed and compared with an eddy-resolving Ocean General Circulation Model (OGCM), which is capable of modeling wind-driven general circulation and each stage of the meander growth. The numerical solutions provided the following results, in reasonable agreement with the linear stability theory using a two-and-a-half layer quasi-geostrophic model. Baroclinic instability plays a key role for the meander growth and eddy generation, while meanders in the coastal current are initiated by isolated mesoscale rotations propagating westward. The baroclinically unstable meanders have a wavelength of 500∼700 km, grow in one month and propagate downstream of the coastal current at several kilometers per day. The instability is not strong enough for the meanders to detach an eddy from the western boundary current.     

Estimating the Kuroshio Axis South of Japan Using Combination of Satellite Altimetry and Drifting Buoys

By tracking the locally strongest part of the sea-surface velocity field, which was obtained by integrating data of satellite altimeters and surface drifting buoys, we extracted the Kuroshio axis south of Japan every 10 days from October 1992 to December 2000. The obtained axes clearly express the effect of the bottom topography; three modes were observed when the Kuroshio ran over the Izu Ridge. The axis was very stable to the south of ‘Tosa-bae,’ off the Kii Channel. Mean current speed at the Kuroshio axis gradually increased from 0.65 m/s south of Kyushu to 1.45 m/s off Enshu-nada. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Intraannual variability of sea level around Tosa Bay

Through analysis of monthly in situ hydrographic, tide gauge, altimetry and Kuroshio axis data for the years 1993–2001, the intraannual variability of sea level around Tosa Bay, Japan, with periods of 2–12 months is examined together with the intraannual variability of the Kuroshio south of the bay. It is shown that the intraannual variation of steric height on the slope in Tosa Bay can account for that of sea level at the coast around the bay as well as on this slope. It is found that the steric height (or sea level) variation on the slope in this bay is mainly controlled by the subsurface thermal variation correlated with the Kuroshio variation off Cape Ashizuri, the western edge of Tosa Bay. That is, when the nearshore Kuroshio velocity south of the cape is intensified [weakened] concurrently with the northward [southward] displacement of the current axis, temperature in an entire water column decreases [increases] simultaneously, mainly due to the upward [downward] displacement of isotherms, coincident with that of the main thermocline. It follows that the steric height (or sea level) decreases [increases].     

Trajectory of Mesoscale Eddies in the Kuroshio Recirculation Region

Trajectories of mesoscale eddies in the Kuroshio recirculation region were investigated by using sea surface height (SSH) anomaly observed by the TOPEX/POSEIDON and ERS altimeters. Cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies have been traced on maps of the filtered SSH anomaly fields composed from the altimeter observations every ten days. Both the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies propagate westward in the Kuroshio recirculation region from a region south of the Kuroshio Extension. The propagation speed of these eddies has been estimated as about 7 cm s⁻¹, which is much faster than the phase speed theoretically estimated for the baroclinic first-mode Rossby wave in the study area. It was also found that in the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge region, most of eddies pass through the gap between the Hachijojima Island and Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, and some of the eddies decay around the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge. It seems that the trajectory of the eddies is crucially affected by the bottom topography. In the region south of Shikoku and east of Kyushu, some of the eddies coalesce with the Kuroshio. It is also suggested that this coalescence may trigger the path variation of the Kuroshio in the sea south of Japan. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Numerical Study of the Generation and Propagation of Trigger Meanders of the Kuroshio South of Japan

We examine the processes underlying the generation and propagation of the small meander of the Kuroshio south of Japan which occurs prior to the transition from the non-large meander path to the large meander path. The study proceeds numerically by using a two-layer, flat-bottom, quasi-geostrophic inflow-outflow model which takes account of the coastal geometries of Kyushu, Nansei Islands, part of the East China Sea, and the Izu Ridge. The model successfully reproduces the observed generation and propagation features of what is called "trigger meander" until it passes by Cape Shiono-misaki; presumably because of the absence of the bottom topography, the applicability of the present numerical model becomes questionable after the trigger meander passes by Cape Shiono-misaki. The generation of the trigger meander off the south-eastern coast of Kyushu is shown to be associated with the increase in the supply of cyclonic vorticity by the enhanced current velocity in the upper layer along the southern coast of Kyushu where the no-slip boundary condition is employed. Thereafter, the trigger meander propagates eastward while inducing an anticyclone-cyclone-cyclone pair in the lower layer. The lower-layer cyclone induced in this way, in particular, plays a crucial role in intensifying the trigger meander trough via cross-stream advection in the upper layer; the intensified trigger meander trough then further amplifies the lower-layer cyclone. This joint evolution of the upper-layer meander trough and the lower-layer cyclone indicates that baroclinic instability is the dominant mechanism underlying the rapid amplification of the eastward propagating trigger meander.     

Generation of Small Meanders of the Kuroshio South of Kyushu in a High-Resolution Ocean General Circulation Model

The generation of small meanders of the Kuroshio south of Kyushu has been investigated using a high-resolution ocean general circulation model of the North Pacific Ocean. The small cyclonic meander develops in the region east of the Tokara Strait with a period of about one month, then propagates downstream along the Kuroshio path to the longitude of the Kii Peninsula, which is similar to the so-called trigger meanders for the formation of the large-meander of the Kuroshio south of Japan. It turns out that the generation of the small meander is a local phenomenon, strongly associated with anticyclonic eddies that propagate northeastward along the Kuroshio path in the East China Sea. The vorticity balance indicates that the accumulation of positive vorticity during the developing phase of the small meander occurs mainly from the balance between the stretching and the advection terms. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Kuroshio pathways in a climatologically forced model

A high-resolution ocean model forced with an annually repeating atmosphere is used to examine variability of the Kuroshio, the western boundary current in the North Pacific Ocean. A large meander (LM) in the path of the Kuroshio south of Japan develops and disappears in a highly bimodal fashion on decadal timescales. The modeled meander is comparable in timing and spatial extent to an observed feature in the region. Various characteristics of the LM are examined, including relative vorticity, transport, and velocity shear. The many similarities between the model and observations indicate that the meander results from intrinsic oceanic variability, which is represented in this climatologically forced model. Each LM is preceded by a smaller “trigger” meander that originates at the south end of Kyushu, moves up the coast, and develops into the LM. However, there are also many meanders very similar in character to the trigger meander that do not develop into LMs. Formation of an LM only occurs when a deep anticyclone associated with the trigger meander forms near Koshu Seamount. Furthermore, the major axis of that deep anticyclone must be oriented away from the coast, rather than alongshore. In the specific case of interaction of a trigger meander with a deep anticyclone with major axis oriented away from the coastline, LM formation occurs.     

Long-term variability of the Kuroshio path south of Japan

This study investigates the long-term variability of the Kuroshio path south of Japan. Sensitivity experiments using a data-assimilative model suggest that the duration of the large meander (LM) strongly depends on the Kuroshio transport; specifically, low transport leads to a long duration of the LM. Actually, we find a good correlation between the duration of the past LMs and the Sverdrup transport estimated by a wind-driven linear baroclinic vorticity model. Then we explore favorable conditions for the LM and find a close relationship between the Kuroshio Extension (KE) state and the LM. That is, a precondition for the LM that the Kuroshio path on the Izu Ridge is fixed at a deep channel located around 34°N is achieved during a stable KE state. In addition, westward propagating signals with negative anomalies in the Kuroshio region and high sea-surface height (SSH) state east of Taiwan are key for generation of a small meander southeast of Kyushu that triggers a subsequent LM. The signals related to the above conditions change the upstream Kuroshio transport and velocity, which are consistent with features indicated by the former observational studies. Using reanalysis data, we construct long-time series of indices for the three conditions, which explain well the past LMs. The indices suggest that long-term non-LM states around 1970 and in the 1990s were attributed to a low-SSH state east of Taiwan and an unstable KE state, respectively.     

Influence of Kuroshio Flow on the Horizontal Distribution of North Pacific Intermediate Water in the Shikoku Basin

The influence of the Kuroshio flow on the horizontal distribution of North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) in the Shikoku Basin is examined based upon observational data collected by the training vessel “Seisui-maru” of Mie University together with oceanographic data compiled by the Japan Oceanographic Data Center (JODC). Although it has been stated that the NPIW with salinity less than 34.2 psu had been confined to the south of the Kuroshio main axis along the PT (KJ) Line on the eastern side of the Izu Ridge, a similar tendency can be detected on the western side of the Izu Ridge. Namely, the NPIW on the southern side of the Kuroshio main axis in the Shihoku Basin does not indicate a tendency to go northward across the Kuroshio main axis without an increase in salinity of more than 34.2 psu. However, the JODC data show that less saline water (<34.2 psu) was present on the northern side of the Kuroshio main axis south of the Kii Peninsula in May 1992. Satellite observed sea surface temperature (SST) data suggested that the Kuroshio approaches the Kii Peninsula after forming a small meander off Kyushu and some intrusions of the NPIW into the northern coastal side of the Kuroshio main axis occurred in this period. It is concluded that intrusion of the NPIW with salinity less than 34.2 psu to the northern coastal side through the Kuroshio main axis occurred during the decay period of the small meander path in May 1992. Based on these observational results, the source of the salinity minimum water on the northern coastal side of the Kuroshio main axis is discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Mean and Temporal Variability in Kuroshio Geostrophic Transport South of Taiwan (1993–2001)

Observations of the Kuroshio south of Taiwan have been carried out on a quarterly basis since late 1992 as part of the basin-wide High Resolution expendable bathythermograph/expendable conductivity-temperature-depth (XBT/XCTD) network. Mean geostrophic transport in the Kuroshio, 0–800 m, from 34 cruises is 22.0 Sv ± 1.5, consistent with previous results from moorings and geostrophic calculations in the upstream Kuroshio region. The mean core of the current has speed about 90 cm s⁻¹ and is located close to Taiwan. At this location the Kuroshio appears to be confined mainly to the upper 700 m, and there is no evident tight recirculation of the current. Eddy variability is substantial, and large eddies can be seen propagating westward for thousands of kilometers in TOPEX/Poseidon altimetric data, impinging on the current and altering its structure and transport. The annual range in transport is about 8 Sv ± 6, with maximum in summer. Interannual variability is about 12 Sv ± 6, with transport maxima in 1995 and 2000 and a minimum in 1997–1998. Interannual variability in the upstream Kuroshio may be uncorrelated with that in the downstream region south of Japan, where the transport is much greater. Our quarterly sampling aliases high frequency variability of the current, and an improved boundary-current observation program would include more frequent transects and occasional deeper measurements. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Variation of the Kuroshio south of Japan

The variations of the velocity and path of the Kuroshio are investigated by using the data obtained after the World War II. The time scales of these variations are classified into three categories,i.e. long-, medium- and short-terms. Period of the long-term variations seems to be about 7 to 9 years. Large meanders of the Kuroshio off Enshu-nada in 1953–1955 and 1959–1962 are accompanied with the low mean velocity of the Kuroshio. These large meanders are explained as a stationary Rossby wave by applying the equation for the phase velocity of the barotropic Rossby wave with the disturbance of finite width. To obtain the above conclusion, it is assumed that the Kuroshio extends down to the depth of 2,300 db and that the east component of the over-all mean velocity of the meandering Kuroshio should be substituted for the velocity of the eastward basic current in the above equation. As for the medium-term variation of the Kuroshio, there seems to exist variations in the velocity with the periods of 4, 6, 8 and 12 months and those in the position of the Kuroshio axis with the periods of 8 and 12 months. These meanders of the Kuroshio progress towards east with the mean phase velocity of about 5 miles a day, which is nearly the same as the calculated mean phase velocity of a progressive Rossby wave.     

Variation of the Kuroshio in the Tokara Strait Induced by Meso-Scale Eddies

Temporal variations of the Kuroshio volume transport in the Tokara Strait and at the ASUKA line are decomposed by phase-propagating Complex EOF modes of high-resolution sea surface dynamic topography (SSDT) field during the first tandem period of TOPEX/POSEIDON and ERS-1 (from October 1992 to December 1993). Both variations are dominated by a mode with nearly semi-annual cycle, which indicates a series of interactions between the Kuroshio and meso-scale eddies. Namely, northern part of a westward-propagating meso-scale eddy at 23°N is captured into the southern side of the Kuroshio at the south of Okinawa, then it moves downstream along the Kuroshio path passing the Tokara Strait, and reaches to the ASUKA line where it merges with another eddy propagating from the east at 30°N. The variation at the ASUKA line is, however, less dominated by this mode; instead, it includes the SSDT variations in the south of Shikoku and the east of Kyushu which would be directly affected by eddies from the east without passing the Tokara Strait. On the other hand, the same analysis for movements of the Kuroshio axis in the Strait indicates that they are governed by short-term variations locally confined to the Kuroshio in the East China Sea without being induced by meso-scale eddies. This results, however, seem to depend strongly on a time scale of interest. It is suggested that the long-term movements of the Kuroshio axis in the Strait would demonstrate coincidence with SSDT variation in the south of Japan.     

Distribution of planktonic copepods in the Kuroshio area of the East Chine Sea to the southwest of Kyushu in Japan

The materials were obtained from the survey conducted in the Kuroshio area of the East China Sea to the Southwest of Kyushu in Japan (29°30'-32°00', 128°00'-130°'00'E) on board the R. V. Yoko Maru of Seikai Regional Fisheries Lab, Fisheries Agency, Japan in June 15~28, 1988 during China-Japan Joint Research on the Kuroshio. Zoo-plankton was collected by means of the North Pacific Net with model TSK flowmeter through vertical haul from 50 -Om. Temperature and salinity were measured with CTD. 134 species (including 4 spp. ) of planktonic copepods were preliminarily identified in the survey area. Most of them belonged to the tropical and subtropical species and a few of them were the warm-temperate species and eurytopic species. The main dominant species vteieOncaea venusta, Oithona plumifera, Clausocalanus furcatus, C. Arcuicornis, Paracaianus dculeatus, Oithona similis, Temara turbinata, Oncaea media, Undinula danvinii, Acartia negligent, Corycaeus speciosus, Scolecithrix danae, etc. The total number