Seasonal variation of atmospheric coupling with oceanic mesoscale eddies in the North Pacific Subtropical Countercurrent

This study investigated the seasonal variation in the atmospheric response to oceanic mesoscale eddies in the North Pacific Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC) and its mechanism, based on satellite altimetric and reanalysis datasets. Although mesoscale eddy in the study area is more active in summer, the sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly associated with mesoscale eddies is more intense and dipolar in winter, which is largely due to the larger background SST gradient. Similarly, the impact of the oceanic eddy on sea surface wind speed and heat flux is strongest in winter, whereas its effect on precipitation rate is more significant in summer. The study revealed that the SST gradient in STCC could impact the atmosphere layer by up to 800 hPa (900 hPa) in boreal winter (summer) through the dominant vertical mixing mechanism. Moreover, the intensity of the SST gradient causes such seasonal variation in mesoscale air-sea coupling in the study region. In brief, a stronger (weaker) background SST gradient field in wintertime (summertime) leads to a larger (smaller) eddy-induced SST anomaly, thus differently impacting atmosphere instability and transitional kinetic energy flux over oceanic eddies, leading to seasonal variation in mesoscale air-sea coupling intensity.     

Differences in Ecosystem Dynamics between the Northern and Southern Parts of the Japan Sea: Analyses with Two Ecosystem Models

Differences in ecosystem dynamics between the northern and southern parts of the Japan Sea have been investigated with two nitrogen based ecosystem models forced by climatological mixed layer depth and euphotic layer depth. Models having 4 and 9 compartments with the same biochemical parameters were applied to the northern and southern parts. The spring bloom in the southern part is earlier and smaller than that in the northern part according to both models, which is supported by satellite ocean color images. The difference of the timing is related to the variation of mixed layer depth, and the magnitude of blooming is also related to the concentrations of surface nutrient and herbivorous zooplankton in early spring. The simulated seasonal variations of ecosystem characteristics (standing stock of each compartment, primary production and the ratio of export flux of organic particles to the primary production) are not significantly different between two models. The ratio of export flux of organic particles to the primary production are about 36% and 23% in the northern and southern parts according to the 4-compartment model, while the values are 31% and 18% by 9-compartment model. These results suggest that the biological pump in the northern part is more active than that in the southern part of the Japan Sea. Sensitivity analyses have been carried out to examine the differences of the response to the models.