Mean circulation induced over bottom topography by mesoscale variabilities in the Kuroshio Extension

Circulation could be generated over bottom topography by vertical shrinking or stretching of a water parcel, in which potential vorticity is conserved. The water parcel moves up or down over the bottom topography yielding shrinking or stretching. In addition to a prevailing current which advects the water parcel in one direction, an oscillatory motion can also induce shrinking and stretching, and circulation is consequently generated over the bottom topography, once it is averaged in time. A two-layer quasi-geostrophic model has been used to reproduce mesoscale variabilities both in and under the Kuroshio Extension around the Shatsky Rise. A combination of TOPEX and ERS altimeters provided information on an eddy field near the sea surface, while a data assimilation method was used to reconstruct the flow field below the main thermocline. Among various mesoscale processes associated with the Kuroshio, it is remarkable that topographic Rossby waves trapped over the Shatsky Rise are generated by the upper-layer mesoscale variability. A persistent anticyclonic circulation is produced on the Shatsky Rise through a water parcel moving up and down over the bottom slope, and is consistent with the observed density anomaly in the WOA94.     

Analysis of sea surface height variabilities in the Kuroshio Current region by using Geosat altimeter data

INTRODUCTIONBeing a current of high temperature and high salinity, the Kuroshio carries a large amount ofheat from low latitude tropical ocean to high latitude ocean, and plays an imPOrtant role in theheat balance in East Asia. The variability of the Kurosl,io can affect the climate of East Asia, aswell as the ocean environment and the fishery resources. A lot of studies showed that the variabilitiies of the Kuroshio were related to the global changes especially to the onset of ENSO.…     

Argos表面漂流浮标在黑潮区的若干观测结果

利用近几年国家海洋局第二海洋研究所及国家海洋技术中心在南海和西北太平洋海域布放的部分卫星跟踪表面漂流浮标所取得的观测资料,分析了浮标流经海域的表层海流特征及浮标漂移路径上水温的变化。结果表明:2003年1月,黑潮表层水有入侵南海的趋势,夏季南海表层水经吕宋海峡流出,汇入黑潮主干;夏末冬初,黑潮主干经过东海时明显呈弯曲流动;2003年春季,日本以南海域黑潮弯曲不明显;台湾东北部海域存在一个强反气旋涡;表层海水的温度日变化和季节变化明显,在浮标漂移路径呈反气旋或气旋式转动的区域,对应出现了表层水温的高、低温区。     

Predictability of Interannual Variability in the Kuroshio Transport South of Japan Based on Wind Stress Data over the North Pacific

It is expected that a roughly two-year forecast of the Kuroshio transport variation can be made from a past record of wind stress data over the ocean, since it takes nearly ten years for the first-mode baroclinic Rossby wave to traverse the entire basin in the midlatitude North Pacific (∼30°N). We therefore investigated the predictability using an ocean general circulation model driven by the wind stress data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis. Referring to a hindcast experiment as the control run, we carried out fifteen forecast experiments, the initial conditions of which are taken from the hindcast experiment at intervals of two years during the period from the end of 1969 to the end of 1997. Each of the forecast experiments is driven only by wind stress in the year preceding each experiment. The forecasted Kuroshio transport anomaly south of Japan agrees better with the hindcasted one during the first two years of the forecast in most cases. In some cases, however, significant disagreements occur, most of which are likely due to larger unpredictable variations caused by wind stress anomalies near Japan. At the end of forecast year 2, the anomaly correlation coefficient is about 0.7, and rms of the forecast error is smaller than rms of the hindcasted anomaly. These results indicate that the prediction of the interannual variability in the Kuroshio transport could be made two years in advance at a statistically significant level. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Sensitivity of the Interannual Kuroshio Transport Variation South of Japan to Wind Dataset in OGCM Calculation

Numerical experiments were carried out using OGCM (Ocean General Circulation Model), MOM2.2 (Modular Ocean Model Ver. 2.2), over realistic topography data, ETOPO5 (Earth Topography - 5 Minute), to investigate the interannual variability of the Kuroshio transport in 1960–2000 south of Japan; 1) the PN line located off the East China Sea, and 2) the ASUKA (Affiliated Surveys of the Kuroshio off Cape Ashizuri) line located off Cape Ashizuri. We adopted two wind datasets as driving forces of the OGCM: 1) the NCEP/NCAR (National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research) reanalysis monthly mean wind stress data, and 2) the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts) daily wind data. In the ECMWF experiments we replaced the NCEP/NCAR data only in 1979–1993 because of the availability of the data. The OGCMs and observation basically agree on the temporal variation patterns of the transports until 1986 on the PN line with correlation coefficients of about 0.6. During the 1990s, when data were collected on the ASUKA line, the NCEP/NCAR experiments give lower correlation coefficients (less than 0.3), on both PN and ASUKA lines, while the ECMWF experiments have a higher value on the ASUKA line (0.5). One of the reasons for the disagreement between the observations and OGCMs during the 1990s might arise from the NCEP/NCAR data. An additional analysis of a wind-driven circulation was performed to examine the sensitivity of integrated Sverdrup transport along the western boundary to the propagation speed of a baroclinic Rossby wave, which is varied by stratification. A variation of the stratification, which might be induced by variability of air-sea heat and freshwater fluxes, cannot be a main cause of the disagreement. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

基于20年卫星高度计数据的黑潮变异特征分析

本文基于改进的特征线方法,利用1992~2012年间的高度计绝对动力地形数据提取了整个黑潮流区逐月的黑潮主轴和边界位置,并对黑潮沿轴速度、主流宽度、表层水体输运以及路径标准差等黑潮特征量进行了分析研究。结果表明黑潮整体的沿轴速度在夏秋季较大,最大值可达0.95m/s,而在冬季的速度较小;黑潮主流宽度在10、11月份达到最大值;黑潮表层水体输运在夏季最大,春秋两季次之,冬季最小。沿黑潮流路分区域对黑潮特征进行分析,结果表明,越往黑潮下游,黑潮的沿轴速度、主流宽度和表层水体输运越大,同时沿轴速度和表层水体输运量最大值出现的时间也越晚,黑潮主轴位置相对于其多年平均的偏离程度越大,且随时间波动也越强烈。     

Dynamic Structure of the Kuroshio South of Kyushu in Relation to the Kuroshio Path Variations

The variation of velocity and potential vorticity (PV) of the Kuroshio at the PN line in the East China Sea and the TK line across the Tokara Strait were examined in relation to the path variations of the Kuroshio in the southern region of Japan, using quarterly data from a conductivity-temperature-depth profiler and a shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler during 1987–97. At the PN line the Kuroshio has a single stable current core located over the continental slope and a significant maximum of PV located just onshore of the current axis in the middle part of the main pycnocline. On the other hand, the Kuroshio at the TK line has double current cores over the two gaps in the Tokara Strait; the northern core has a much larger velocity than the southern core on average during periods of the large meander of the Kuroshio, while the difference in strength between the double cores is small during the non-large-meander (NLM) period. At the TK line, PV in the middle pycnocline is variable; it is small and nearly uniform throughout the section for 40% of the total observations, while it has a significant maximum near the northern core for 30% and two maxima corresponding to the double current cores for 23%. The small, nearly uniform PV occurs predominantly during the NLM period, and is closely related to the generation of the small meander of the Kuroshio southeast of Kyushu. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

根据漂流浮标资料对黑潮15m层流路及流轴特征的分析

利用1979-02—2012-03共33a的水帆位于15m层的Argos漂流浮标资料,绘制黑潮流系15m层的多年年平均和月平均流场,运用特征线方法计算得到黑潮流轴,定义黑潮流动路径的边界为流速大小20~30cm/s的过渡性区域。结果显示:黑潮多年年平均流路大致是一个以(13°30′N,142°00′E)为圆心、2 235km为半径的直角弧段,其在吕宋海峡、台湾东北、九州西南及伊豆海岭附近海区发生气旋式弯曲前先进行反气旋式弯曲调整,弯曲处出现的路径开口主要是支流的并入或分支的流出;黑潮流轴整体性偏向黑潮左边界,其中在吕宋岛东北至台湾以东海域最为显著,在本州岛以南海域次之,而在东海段基本居中;黑潮流路上的流速在总体上由南向北呈增大趋势,但并非沿流路持续性逐渐增加,而是呈现出较平直流段的大流速区和弯曲调整流段的低流速区相互交错的状况,其中四国岛以南至伊豆诸岛以西流段的流速为最大。多年月平均流场显示,2月,5月,8月和11月这4个月份是黑潮流路和流轴发生变化的重要转折期,而1月,4月,7月和10月这4个月份则是各季节的代表月份。其中,冬季月份的黑潮流路和流轴最为曲折,向边缘海发生显著入侵;夏季月份的黑潮流路和流轴最为平直,左侧伴随有北向流动;春、秋两季的过渡性特征则比较明显。     

Geostrophy in the Intermediate and Deep Layers of the Kuroshio and Its Recirculation Regions South of Japan

Theoretically, the geostrophic approximation holds for the low-frequency flow field, but no detailed examination has been done on how well the estimated geostrophic velocity corresponds with the observed velocity. Intensive surveys were carried out during 1993–1995 in the Kuroshio and its recirculation regions south of Shikoku, Japan, including repeated hydrographic surveys and direct current measurements at nominal depths of 700, 1500 and 3000 m. For these depth intervals, vertical differences of estimated geostrophic velocity are compared with those of observed velocity. For the intermediate layer (between 700 and 1500 m depths), the slope of the regression line is 0.99, correlation coefficient is 0.98, and the root-mean-square of difference from geostrophic balance is 2.8 cm/s which is close to the estimated error of 2.1 cm/s. For the deep layer (between 1500 and 3000 m depths), the corresponding values are 0.82, 0.93, 1.2 cm/s and 2.0 cm/s, respectively. The results indicate that the estimated geostrophic velocity compares well with the observed velocity in these regions. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

日本南部黑潮与黑潮延伸体路径状态关联性的定量分析

日本南部黑潮存在多种路径模态:近岸非大弯曲路径、离岸非大弯曲路径和大弯曲路径。黑潮延伸体的路径存在两种典型模态:收缩态和伸展态。从地理位置看, 日本南部黑潮和黑潮延伸体是相邻的, 但它们的路径状态是否存在关联一直存在争议。本文基于卫星观测的海表高度资料和长期的海洋高分辨率再分析资料, 对日本南部黑潮和黑潮延伸体路径状态之间的关联性进行定量分析, 结果表明:日本南部黑潮和黑潮延伸体的路径状态存在一定的关联。当日本南部黑潮处于近岸非大弯曲和大弯曲路径时, 黑潮延伸体主要处于伸展态; 当日本南部黑潮处于离岸非大弯曲时, 黑潮延伸体处于伸展态和收缩态的比例相当。进一步分析表明, 黑潮流轴处于伊豆海脊的位置部分决定了上述关系, 可能存在其他因素调制了两者的关联性。     

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。     

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.     

Variations of the Kuroshio in the Southern Region of Japan: Conditions for Large Meander of the Kuroshio

Conditions for the formation of large meander (LM) of the Kuroshio are inferred from observational data, mainly obtained in the 1990s. Propagation of the small meander of the Kuroshio from south of Kyushu to Cape Shiono-misaki is a prerequisite for LM formation, and three more conditions must be satisfied. (1) The cold eddy carried by small meander interacts with the cold eddy in Enshu-nada east of the cape. During and just after the propagation of small meander, (2) the Kuroshio axis in the Tokara Strait maintains the northern position and small curvature, and (3) current velocity of the Kuroshio is not quite small. If the first condition is not satisfied, the Kuroshio path changes little. If the first condition is satisfied, but the second or third one is not, the Kuroshio transforms to the offshore non-large-meander path, not the LM path. All three conditions must be satisfied to form the large meander. For continuance of the large meander, the Kuroshio must maintain the small curvature of current axis in the Tokara Strait and a medium or large range of velocity and transport. These conditions for formation and continuance may be necessary for the large meander to occur. Moreover, effects of bottom topography on position and structure of the Kuroshio are described. Due to topography, the Kuroshio changes horizontal curvature and vertical inclination of current axis in the Tokara Strait, and is confined into either of two passages over the Izu Ridge at mid-depth. The former contributes to the second condition for the LM formation.     

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.     

Current Nature of the Kuroshio in the Vicinity of the Kii Peninsula

The Kuroshio flows very close to Cape Shionomisaki when it takes a straight path. The detailed observations of the Kuroshio were made both on board the R/V Seisui-maru of Mie University and on board the R/V Wakayama of the Wakayama Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station on June 11–14, 1996. It was confirmed that the current zone of the Kuroshio touches the coast and bottom slope just off Cape Shionomiaki, and that the coastal water to the east of the cape was completely separated from that to the west. The relatively high sea level difference between Kushimoto and Uragami could be caused by this separation of the coastal waters when the Kuroshio takes a straight path. This flow is rather curious, as the geostrophic flow, which has a barotropic nature and touches the bottom, would be constrained to follow bottom contours due to the vorticity conservation law. The reason why the Kuroshio leaves the bottom slope to the east of Cape Shionomisaki is attributed to the high curvature of the bottom contours there: if the current were to follow the contours, the centrifugal term in the equation of motion would become large and comparablee to the Coriolis (or pressure gradient) term, and the geostrophic balance would be destroyed. This creates a current-shadow zone just to the east of the cape. As the reason why the current zone of the Kuroshio intrudes into the coastal region to the west of the cape, it is suggested that the Kii Bifurcation Current off the southwest coast of the Kii Peninsula, which is usually found when the Kuroshio takes the straight path, has the effect of drawing the Kuroshio water into the coastal region. The sea level difference between Kushimoto and Uragami is often used to monitor the flow pattern of the Kuroshio near the Kii Peninsula. It should be noted that Uragami is located in the current shadow zone, while Kushimoto lies in the region where the offshore Kuroshio water intrudes into the coastal region. The resulting large sea level difference indicates that the Kuroshio is flowing along the straight path.     

Three-Dimensional Velocity Field and Cross-Frontal Water Exchange in the Kuroshio Extension

A spread of warm water from the first crest of the Kuroshio Extension is periodically enhanced by northward warm water intrusions from the main current. The water type in the spread area was previously found to be the same as that in the Kuroshio front at depth. In looking for the possible mechanism responsible for the northward warm water intrusions, a dynamic analysis in the Kuroshio front was carried out by using CTD, ADCP, AVHRR and ARGOS buoy data, obtained in 1996 by the R.V. Hakuho Maru. Downstream, cross-stream and vertical velocities in the Kuroshio Extension were found by using a "stream coordinate system". The velocity field in the Kuroshio front at the first crest showed a double structure with two surface velocity maxima. In the inner part of the front, relatively high cross-stream (northward) and vertical (upward) velocities were found. Thus, this study suggests that while water particles flow downstream along the first stationary meander of the Kuroshio Extension, they also experience lateral and vertical movements which allow the deeper water from an upstream location to rise to the surface layer, and in certain locations to deflect northward. By assuming isopycnal movement and conservation of potential vorticity, it was found that in those locations where anticyclonic curvature of the meander increases, warm water is more likely to deflect northward. High ageostrophic components observed in the first 300 m of the water column are probably related to the relatively high cross-stream and vertical velocities in the inner part of the front.     

Surface current field and seasonal variability in the Kuroshio and adjacent regions derived from satellite-tracked drifter data

The muhiyear averaged surface current field and seasonal variability in the Kuroshio and adjacent regions are studied. The data used are trajectories and （1/4） ° latitude by （1/4） ° longitude mean currents derived from 323 Argos drifters deployed by Chinese institutions and world ocean circulation experiment from 1979 to 2003. The results show that the Kuroshio surface path adapts well to the western boundary topography and exhibits six great turnings. The branching occurs frequently near anticyclonic turnings rather than near cyclonic ones. In the Luzon Strait, the surface water intrusion into the South China Sea occurs only in fall and winter. The Kuroshio surface path east of Taiwan, China appears nearly as straight lines in summer, fall, and winter, when anticyclonic eddies coexist on its right side; while the path may cyclonically turning in spring when no eddy exists. The Kuroshio intrusion northeast of Taiwan often occurs in fall and winter, but not in summer. The running direction, width and velocity of the middle segment of the Kuroshio surface currents in the East China Sea vary seasonally. The northward intrusion of the Kuroshio surface water southwest of Kyushu occurs in spring and fall, but not in summer. The northmost position of the Kuroshio surface path southwest of Kyushu occurs in fall, but never goes beyond 31 °N. The northward surface current east of the Ryukyu Islands exists only along Okinawa-Amami Islands from spring to fall. In particular, it appears as an arm of an anti- cyclonic eddy in fall.     

东海黑潮区莹虾类的初步研究

1984年6月和1985年12月,对东海进行了首次黑潮实验性调查.整个调查区涉及到东海及东海黑潮区。作为综合调查项目其中之一的生物调查,在全调查区进行了取样:冬、夏两航次共采集浮游动物样品115份,经分析共鉴定出莹虾类4种。夏季(6月)出现中型莹虾 Luciferintermedius、正型莹虾 Lucifer typus、刷状莹虾 Lnckfer penicillifer、东方莹虾 Lucifer oriental-is;冬季(12月)出现中型莹虾 Lucifer intermedius、正型莹虾 Lucifer typus,可以明显地看出莹虾类的数量分布和种类分布与水温、营养盐、水团、流系等之间有密切的关系。并且莹虾类的数量分布与渔场的位置也有一定关系。据本次调查及资料分析,夏季可将中型莹虾作为东海混合水的指标种;正型莹虾可作为黑潮水的指标种;刷状莹虾可作为台湾暖流的指标种,为水文的调查提供较有价值的参考.     

Interannual Changes of the Winter to Early Spring Biomass and Composition of Mesozooplankton in the Kuroshio Region in Relation to Climatic Factors

Interannual variations of biomass of major mesozooplankton groups (Cnidaria, Chaetognatha, Copepoda, Crustacea other than copepods, Tunicata) in the January to March period were examined in the slope, Kuroshio and offshore waters off the Pacific coast of western Japan (western region) from 1971 to 1988 and off central Japan (central region) from 1971 to 1989. The mean biomass for each year of most of the mesozooplankton groups was high in the early 1970s and tended to decrease (in the western region) or to have dropped to a lower level (in the central region) after the mid-1970s. Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses of the mean biomass for each year of each mesozooplankton group in the Kuroshio in both regions against climatic factors revealed that the biomass was related positively to wind speed. It is therefore considered that the nutrient supply to the upper layers limits the production of many of the mesozooplankton groups examined in the Kuroshio, even in winter. Similar relationships were also found for the biomass of Copepoda, non-copepod Crustacea and Tunicata in the offshore water in the western region. The percentage of copepods in the biomass in the central region seemed to decrease under high water temperature conditions, while that of Chaetgnatha tended to increase. Climatic factors thus largely influenced the interannual variations of biomass and composition of mesozooplankton in and near the Kuroshio during the winter to early spring period. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

利用漂流浮标资料对黑潮及其邻近海域表层流场及其季节分布特征的分析研究

利用1987年以来WOCE项目及我国自行投放或进入黑潮及其邻近海域(15°~36°N,114°~135°E)的共计323个卫星跟踪海表面漂流浮标资料,得到全年平均及季节平均的浮标轨迹及(1/4)°×(1/4)°格点平均的表层流矢量结果。分析认为:对于全年平均的表层流场,黑潮表层流路主要表现了对大洋西边界地形的适应,并呈现出6个较大的弯曲,其中在反气旋型弯曲处都发生分支或入侵现象、气旋型弯曲处这种现象却不明显。对于季节平均的表层流场,黑潮表层不同流段分别表现出各自显著的季节差异:吕宋海峡附近海域,表层水向南海的入侵只发生在秋、冬两季,而春、夏两季却不发生;在台湾以东海域,黑潮表层流路与黑潮右侧反气旋涡的存在与否密切相关,春季没有涡旋存在时,黑潮表层流路常出现气旋式大弯曲,其他三个季节反气旋涡存在时,黑潮表层流路相对平直;在台湾东北海域,黑潮表层水向东海南部陆架区的入侵以秋、冬季最强,春季次之,而夏季几乎不发生;在赤尾屿以北的东海黑潮中段,黑潮流动比较稳定,其表层平均流径走向由偏北到偏东依次约为冬(北偏东30°)、春(北偏东33°)、秋(北偏东38°)、夏(北偏东45°);流路宽度由宽至窄依次约为秋(90 km)、春(80 km)、冬(70 km)、夏(60 km),而流速由大至小依次为夏、春、秋、冬,且各季节都表现出北段流速大于南段的现象;在九州西南海域,春、秋两季黑潮表层水发生明显的向北入侵,入侵的黑潮水与东海外陆架水共同成为对马暖流的一部分来源,而夏季这种现象不明显,九州西南海域黑潮表层流路北界的位置以秋季最为偏北(但最北不超过31°N)、流路也最宽;在琉球群岛外缘海域,南半部基本没有北上的表层流存在,只有在冲绳群岛-奄美群岛以东海区,秋、夏、春三季表层反气旋涡旋都比较活跃,在涡旋的西侧有顺着冲绳群岛-奄美群岛的东北向流,其中秋季最为明显。这些结果可以为黑潮及其邻近海域的深入研究提供较为客观、直接的参考。