On the mean sea levels at various locations along the coasts of Japan

The yearly variations of mean sea levels at various locations along the coasts of Japan have been investigated, based upon the data of observation taken at 55 tide-gauge stations from 1953 to 1970, and some discussions have been made on the relationships between those variations and meteorological and oceanographical conditions, etc. The results obtained are as follows:

1. In cases covering 90% of all the tide-gauge stations, the magnitude of the annual mean rate of variation of ground level is less than 10 mm/year, and the mean value of the magnitude for all the stations is ?3.17 mm/year, while that exclusive of Osaka is ?1.7 mm/year.
2. The effect of atmospheric pressure variation on the height of annual mean sea level is of the order of several centimeters in view from both time and place.
3. In view of the characteristic types of variations, the coasts of Japan may be divided into five regions of similar mean sea level deviations. And in the yearly variations of mean sea levels, there can be seen a kind of variation which corresponds to the variation of oceanographical conditions such as abnormal fall of seawater temperature.
4. The mean sea level deviations at various locations along the coasts of Japan, referred to the standard sea level “T.P.” are different for different places. Namely, (1) on the coast of the Japan Sea, the west coast of Kyushu, the coast of Sanriku and the coast of Hokkaido, the mean sea level is higher than on the Pacific coasts from Southern Kyushu to Southern Honshu. (2) Along the coast of the Seto-Inland Sea, the mean sea level is generally higher.

As for the leading causes of the above deviations, we may safely enumerate the following ones, viz. (a) the effect of the deflecting force of the earth's rotation on currents, and (b) the effect of variation of seawater density. However, as regards the relative importance of these two effects, no decisive conclusion can yet be given for the present.     

东海近海海雾日变化特征及生成的水文气象条件分析

统计分析了东海沿海5个海洋站点的水文气象历史数据,对该区域雾生的日变化特征及海雾维持的气象条件包括气-水温差、风向风速等做出了初步评价.结果显示,除南麂站外各站点上午有雾的情况最多,下午次之,夜间有雾的情况偏少.出雾时气-水温差的阈值大于平流雾形成所要求的气-水温差范围,说明东海沿岸也受非平流雾的影响.另外,多岛区域与开阔水域相比,近岸岛与远离大陆的岛屿相比,雾的日变化规律有着较为明显的差别.     

The variation of the Kuroshio during 1986-1988

On the basis of the analysis of the data obtained from five cruises of the R/V Xiangyanghong 09 and the data from Japan, it is shown that a large meander of the Kuroshio appeared again during 1986-1988. The processes of formation , maturity and decline of this large meander are discussed in this study. The variation of the volume transport at Section Kb (PN) in the East China Sea is related to the large meander of the Kuroshio in the area south of Japan. By using maximum entropy spectrum analysis,the volume transport of the Kuroshio and the swing of its axis are analysed and their major periods are obained.     

黑潮延伸体海表温度锋位置的变化特征

High spatial resolution sea surface temperature(SST) data from 1993 to 2013 are used to detect the position of the Kuroshio Extension sea surface temperature front(KEF) from 141°E to 158°E,and the seasonal,monthly and interannual-to-decadal variations of the KEF position are investigated.The latitudinal position of the KEF varies with longitudes:the westernmost part of the KEF from 141°E to 144°E is relatively stable,whereas the easternmost part from 153°E to 158°E exhibits the largest amplitude of its north-south displacement.In the light of the magnitudes of the standard deviations at longitudes,then the KEF is divided into three sections:western part of the KEF(KEFw,141°–144°E),central part of the KEF(KEFc,144°–153°E) and eastern part of the KEF(KEFe,153°–158°E).Further analysis reveals that the KEFw position is dominated by the decadal variability,while the KEFc and KEFe positions change significantly both on interannual and decadal time scales.In addition,the KEFw position is well correlated with the KEF path length.The possible mode leading to the decadal oscillation of the KEFw is further discussed.The KEFw position exhibits significant connections with the Pacific decadal oscillation(PDO) index and the north Pacific gyre oscillation(NPGO) index with a time lag of 40 and 33 months,respectively.     

Variability of the Kuroshio deduced from sea level data from the Izu Islands

Flow patterns and positions of the Kuroshio in the vicinity of the Izu Ridge are clarified by analyzing hydrographic observations and daily mean sea levels at Hachijo-jima, Miyake-jima and Oshima in the period from 1964 to 1981.Correlations are calculated between differences of dynamic depth anomaly at the surface refered to 1,000 db and differences of daily mean sea level between the two islands. The datum line of the tidal station at Hachijo-jima is about 90 cm higher than that at Miyake-jima, and about 20 cm higher than that at Oshima. A clear correlation is found between the cross-section transport of the Kuroshio and the mean sea-level difference between Hachijo-jima and Miyake-jima. The sea-level difference of the flow pattern without meander off Enshu-nada (type N) tends to be larger than that of the flow patterns with meander (type A and type B). This seems to indicate that the volume transport of the Kuroshio in the meandering period is smaller than that during the straight path period. Large sudden increases or decreases in the mean sea-level difference occur when the flow pattern changes and the Kuroshio axis shifts. The frequency of occurrence of quiet periods in the sea-level difference reflect the flow pattern of the Kuroshio.     

Spectral properties of sea level and time scales of Kuroshio path variations

Spectral properties of sea levels at Naze, Nishinoomote, Kushimoto, Uragami, Miyake-jima and HachijÔ-jima are examined for the non-large-meander (February 1964 – May 1975) and large-meander (October 1975 – December 1979) periods, and the periodicity of variation of the Kuroshio path is clarified.The large meander of the Kuroshio occurs with a primary period of about 20 years and secondary period of 7 to 8. 5 years. During the non-large-meander period, the Kuroshio alternately takes the nearshore and offshore non-large-meander paths with a primary period of 1. 6–1. 8 years. This variation is moreover composed of 110-day, around 195-day and annual periods. The 110-day variation of the Kuroshio path appears to have influence on the coastal sea levels between the Kii Peninsula and the Izu Ridge;i. e., the coastal sea levels rise and fall with one-month time lag after the Kuroshio has begun to approach and leave the Japanese coast. During the large-meander period, the 70 and 110-day variations are remarkable in sea levels south of Japan except Miyake-jima and HachijÔ-jima. The 70-day variation is highly coherent throughout the south coast of Japan; the coherent area of the 110-day variation seems to be smaller.The sea-level variations at Naze and Nishinoomote are not significantly coherent for any of the periods except for annual and semiannual cycles during both the non-large-meander and large-meander periods. That is, the sea-level variations are incoherent between the onshore and offshore sides of the Kuroshio, except for seasonal variation.     

Geostrophic balance of the Kuroshio as inferred from surface current and sea level observations

Historical observations of the surface current and daily mean sea level during the period 1965–1985 are analyzed in order to examine the geostrophic balance of the Kuroshio current in the Tokara Strait and near the Izu Islands. The variation in the sea level difference across the Kuroshio is associated with a variation in surface current velocity as predicted by the theory of geostrophic balance. However, the slope of the linear relation between the current velocity and sea level difference is smaller than the theoretically predicted value by about 30%. This disagreement may be ascribed to the effects of the centrifugal force and the occasional rise in sea level due to storm surges.Absolute mean sea level differences between the tidal stations are estimated by making use of the empirical relationship between the surface current and sea level difference. Estimated differences are: 87.4±22.1 cm between Naze and Nishinoomote, 24.3±9.2 cm between Miyake and Minamiizu, 41.3±17.7 cm between Miyake and Mera and 45.1±8.8 cm between Hachijyo and Miyake. The absolute value of sea level difference between Miyake and Minamiizu and that between Miyake and Mera may be about 30 cm, since geodetic levelling tells us that the mean sea level at Minamiizu is nearly equal to that at Mera.     

On nonlinear sea waves and the induced mean flow

The nonlinear modulation of water wave groups is investigated and the interaction equations with induced flows are obtained. The analysis is performed up to the third order of the wave steepness a by treating it as a small parameter in the singular perturbation technique by means of the Krylov-Bogoliubov-Mitropolski method. The equation which governs the development of the wave envelope is found by a modification of the ordinary nonlinear Schroedinger equation for the case of uniform depth. The equations governing the behavior of the induced mean flow are examined by deriving the second order flow when the form of the modulated wave train is prescribed. The present theory can describe the mean flow caused by the radiation stress. Some applications containing the monochromatic wave instability are given to confirm the theoretical results.An outline of this paper was presented at The Ocean Surface Symposium (Sendai, 1984).     

热带气旋过境期间黑潮流轴变化的初步分析

利用卫星高度计资料分析了热带气旋"艾碧"(Abe,9315)、"贝姬"(Becky,9316)、"莫拉克"(Morakot,0309)和"茉莉"(Melor,0319)对吕宋海峡及其附近海域黑潮流轴的影响。研究表明:1)吕宋海峡附近海域黑潮流轴容易受到热带气旋的影响而发生一定的变化。2)在热带气旋的作用下,黑潮流轴因中尺度涡的变异而变化;当吕宋海峡东侧的暖涡西移时,将使黑潮的流轴向西弯曲,有利于黑潮在该处的入侵。     

Variation of the sea surface temperature distribution across the Kuroshio in the Tokara Strait

Distribution of the sea surface temperature (SST) across the Kuroshio has been measured in the Tokara Strait by the Kagoshima Prefectural Experimental Fishery Station, using a thermometer installed on boardEmerald-Amami, a ferry that operates regularly between Kagoshima and Naha. The data from 1 October 1978 to 30 September 1981 were analyzed in this paper.A sharp temperature front is usually formed at the northern edge of the current zone of the Kuroshio, and its position is very variable and moves north and south between Satamisaki and Nakanoshima. The northward migration of the front can easily be traced, but the southward migration is obscure in many cases. Some of the southward migrations seem to be understood as arising from the alternate appearance of two different fronts, namely a weakening of the northern front and a strengthening of the southern front, which are associated with the double structure of the Kuroshio front. The temperature contrast across the Kuroshio front is very weak in August through October, and the phase of its seasonal variation lags a few months behind that of temperature itself. Transitions between the states with and without temperature contrast occur suddenly, though the transition times differ year by year. Periodical fluctuations with a period of several tens of days are often observed in the migration region of the Kuroshio front. The fluctuations sometimes look very periodical within limited time periods, but the fluctuations are very changeable in nature from year to year.The results show that continuous observation of the SST distribution across the Tokara Strait yields a good tool for monitoring fluctuations of the Kuroshio path and the occurrence of the Ohsumi Branch Current, at least in the season when a large horizontal temperature contrast exists.     

Spatial variation of abundant picoeukaryotes in the subtropical Kuroshio Current in winter

To understand the importance of picoeukaryotes in the biogeochemical cycle in the subtropical Kuroshio Current, a year-round survey of the hydrography and the distribution of picoeukaryotes were conducted in four oceanographic cruises from October 2012 to July 2013. In comparison with other seasons, the highest abundancy of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes, with concentrations >10⁴ cells/ml, was observed around the eastern boundary of the Kuroshio in the winter. Accordingly, the composition of picoeukaryotes in this cold season was further studied by a metabarcoding analysis of the 18S rRNA gene. The majority of picoeukaryotes comprised Alveolata, followed by Haptophyta and Stramenopiles. Their composition was diverse in the waters affected by the Kuroshio and in the offshore province. For Haptophyta, in contrast to clade A prevailing in the Kuroshio waters, clade B1, which was considered the host of uncultivated diazotrophic cyanobacterium group A (UCYN-A), appeared only in the offshore area. Similarly, in Stramenopiles, Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and MAST-1D, respectively, dominated in the Kuroshio-influenced and offshore areas. While Alveolata was the most abundant group, the distributions of all lineages were similar. The association between picoeukaryote succession and hydrographic change is yet to be fully understood. Our results will assist future studies on the community composition of picoplankton and their relationship with marine ecology in the region.     

台湾东北部黑潮次表层水入侵的季节变化规律

台湾东北部,黑潮次表层水常年入侵东海陆架。但是黑潮次表层水入侵的季节变化规律,尚存在很多不明之处。本文基于2009至2011年间东海4个航次的CTD实测数据,研究了黑潮次表层水入侵东海过程的季节变化规律,发现:黑潮次表层水入侵在春末夏初开始加强,夏季最强,秋季开始减弱,冬季最弱。入侵的黑潮次表层水起源深度也随季节变化有所不同。另外,结果还表明黑潮次表层水入侵存在明显的短期变动。     

Seasonal variation of eddy shedding from the Kuroshio intrusion in the Luzon Strait

Altimeter data and output from the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model global assimilation run are used to study the seasonal variation of eddy shedding from the Kuroshio intrusion in the Luzon Strait. The results suggest that most eddy shedding events occur from December through March, and no eddy shedding event occurs in June, September, or October. About a month before eddy shedding, the Kuroshio intrusion extends into the South China Sea and a closed anticyclonic eddy appears inside the Kuroshio loop which then detaches from the Kuroshio intrusion. Anticyclonic eddies detached from December through February move westward at a speed of about 0.1 m s⁻¹ after shedding, whereas eddies detached in other months either stay at the place of origin or move westward at a very slow speed (less than 0.06 m s⁻¹). The HYCOM outputs and QuikSCAT wind data clearly show that the seasonal variation of eddy shedding is influenced by the monsoon winds. A comparison between eddy volume and integrated Ekman transport indicates that, once the integrated Ekman transport exceeds 2 × 10¹² m³ (which roughly corresponds to the volume of an eddy), the Kuroshio intrusion expands and an eddy shedding event occurs within 1 month. We infer that the Ekman drift of the northeasterly monsoon pushes the Kuroshio intrusion into the SCS, creates a net westward transport into the Strait, and leads to an eddy detachment from the Kuroshio.     

春季东海黑潮海表温度与风场的年代际变化特征

利用高分辨率遥感海表温度和海表面风场数据,通过经验正交分解(EOF)和合成分析等方法对春季(3—5月)东海黑潮海温暖舌和海表面风场的年代际变化特征进行分析。结果表明:春季黑潮海温暖舌存在明显的年代际变化特征,在1996/1997年发生由弱到强的位相转换,该年代际变化主要受到北太平洋涡旋振荡(NPGO)的调制。进一步研究表明,与气候态相反,春季黑潮海表温度和风场散度在年代际尺度上表现出显著的负相关关系,合成分析表明,该现象主要是由黑潮西侧东海陆架海域海温的异常增暖所造成。     

Monitoring of position of the Kuroshio axis in the Tokara Strait using sea level data

Properties of the index of position of the Kuroshio axis in the Tokara Strait, named the Kuroshio position index (KPI), were examined using sea-level data during 1984–92. The index is KPI=(X+M _x )/(Y+M _y whereX(Y) is the anomaly of sea-level difference of Nakanoshima (Naze) minus Nishinoomote from the 1984–92 meanM _x (M _y ). The correlation with the latitude of the Kuroshio axis in the Tokara Strait concluded that the KPI withM _x /M _y =0.83 and realisticM _y (100±40 cm) best indicates the position of the Kuroshio axis in the strait. The KPI withM _x =83 cm andM _y =100 cm was newly called the KPI as the best index. Using daily values of this KPI, the relation between the position of the Kuroshio in the strait and the large meander of the Kuroshio shown by Kawabe (1995) was confirmed and studied in detail. A large meander forms (ends) 3.3 (5.1) months after a northward (southward) shift of the Kuroshio in the Tokara Strait. Yet, a temporary southward shift with a duration of ten to twenty days does not finish the large-meander (LM) path. At the LM formation, a small meander southeast of Kyushu begins to move eastward associated with the northward shift. The processes of LM formation and decay are started by the meridional move of the Kuroshio axis in the Tokara Strait. The Kuroshio axis at the FES line during the LM path is located farther north by 7 latitude than that during the non-large-meander (NLM) path. The latitude during the LM formation (decay) stage is a little higher (lower) than that during the LM (NLM) period, though the Kuroshio still takes an NLM (LM) path.     

Seasonal responses of monthly mean sea levels in the Bohai Sea to hydrometeorological forcing and their double screening regression models

-In this paper, the maximum entropy spectral, the cross-spectral and the frequency response analyses are madeon the basis of the data of monthly mean sea levels at coastal stations in the Bohai Sea during 1965-1986. The results show that the annual fluctuations of the monthly mean sea levels in the Bohai Sea are the results of the coupling response of seasonal variations of the marine hydrometeorological factors. Furthermore, the regression prediction equation is obtained by using the double screening stepwise regression analysis method . Through the prediction test , it is proved that the obtained results are desirable.     

Effects of stratification and mesoscale eddies on Kuroshio path variation south of Japan

Bimodality of the Kuroshio current path south of Japan is investigated, focusing on the effects of stratification and mesoscale eddies. For this purpose, wind-driven numerical experiments are executed in barotropic and two-layered ocean models. Stratification has two effects on the path selection of the Kuroshio south of Japan. First, it makes an alongshore path stable at intermediate wind stress strength τ₀ by arresting an eddy southeast of Kyushu. This enables an alongshore path to appear in the entire experimental range of τ₀. Second, the upper limit of τ₀ which allows a meandering path decreases from ( in the Sverdrup transport at the Tokara Strait) to () as Δρ/ρ₀ increases from 2.0×10^-3 to 4.0×10^-3. While an anticyclonic eddy imposed upstream (southeast of Kyushu) can cause the transition from an alongshore to a meandering path, it occurs most easily when (). The transition from a meandering to an alongshore path requires an eddy imposed downstream (east of the meandering segment) which suppresses redevelopment of the meandering segment and breaks the balance between the advective and beta effects. Applicability of the results to previously observed path variations is discussed.     

黑潮延伸体区海平面异常和中尺度涡的时空特征分析

利用1993-2010年间的卫星高度计资料,用EOF方法及小波分析研究了黑潮延伸体区域的海平面异常和中尺度涡的时空变化特征.研究结果表明:海平面EOF第一模态是季节模态,与该海域风应力旋度第一模态类似,相关系数达0.65.EOF第二模态主要反映了黑潮南部次级环流的变化情况,显著性周期是8-10年.通过相关分析发现黑潮延伸体南部次级环流的年代际变化与PDO有关,同时它又与风应力旋度第二模态有关;该海域的海面高度受到北太平洋东部SSH信号西传的影响,信号的传播需要大约3-4年时间.EOF第三模态是黑潮弯曲模态.日本南部的气旋涡和反气旋涡可以表征黑潮弯曲的形成,而且弯曲强度和涡的持续时间、强度和位置有关.     

Temporal-spatial oceanic variation in relation with the three typical Kuroshio paths south of Japan

Empirical orthogonal function(EOF) analysis was applied to a 50-year long time series of monthly mean positions of the Kuroshio path south of Japan from a regional reanalysis. Three leading EOF modes characterize the contributions from three typical paths of the Kuroshio meander: the typical large meander path, the offshore nonlarge meander path, and the nearshore non-large meander path, respectively. Accordingly, the spatial variation characteristics of oceanic anomaly fields can be depicted by...