Significance of High-Frequency Wind Forcing in Modelling the Kuroshio

Motivated by an analysis of a satellite sea surface temperature image suggesting that a train of extra-tropical cyclones induces amplification of the Kuroshio meander, a regional Kuroshio/Oyashio general circulation model was used to investigate the impact of high-frequency wind on the Kuroshio path variations. Near Japan, the standard deviation of the wind stress curl can be 10 times larger than the monthly mean, so the synoptic variations of the wind stress curl cannot be neglected. With the bimodal Kuroshio case realized in the model, sensitivity tests were conducted using monthly and daily mean QuikSCAT-derived wind stress forcings. The comparison showed that the high-frequency local wind perturbed the Shikoku recirculation gyre (SRG) and caused a transition of the path from straight to meander. The strong anticyclonic eddy within the SRG triggered the meander in the latter case. The high-frequency wind perturbed the motion of the eddy that would have otherwise detached from the Kuroshio, migrated south and terminated the meandering state. The result reinforces the suggestion from previous studies that the anticyclonic eddy within the SRG plays an active role in controlling the Kuroshio path variations.     

中国近海及其附近海域若干涡旋研究综述Ⅱ.东海和琉球群岛以东海域

综述东海和琉球群岛以东海域若干气旋型和反气旋型涡旋的研究.对东海陆架、200m以浅海域,主要讨论了东海西南部反气旋涡、济州岛西南气旋式涡和长江口东北气旋式冷涡.东海两侧和陆坡附近出现了各种不同尺度的涡旋,其动力原因之一是与东海黑潮弯曲现象有很大关系,其次也与地形、琉球群岛存在等有关.东海黑潮有两种类型弯曲:黑潮锋弯曲和黑潮路径弯曲.黑潮第一种弯曲出现了锋面涡旋,评述了锋面涡旋的存在时间尺度与空间尺度和结构等;也指出了黑潮第二种弯曲,即路径弯曲时在其两侧出现了中尺度气旋式和反气旋涡,讨论了它们的变化的特性.特别讨论了冲绳北段黑潮弯曲路径和中尺度涡的相互作用,着重指出,当气旋式涡在冲绳海槽北段成长,并充分地发展,其周期约在1~3个月时,它的空间尺度成长到约为200km(此尺度相当于冲绳海槽的纬向尺度)时,黑潮路径从北段转移到南段.也分析了东海黑潮流量和其附近中尺度涡的相互作用.最后指出在琉球群岛以东、以南海域,经常出现各种不同的中尺度反气旋式和气旋式涡,讨论了它们在时间与空间尺度上变化的特征.     

POM模式在日本南部黑潮路径变异研究中的应用

日本南部黑潮路径变异对北太平洋地区的气候和环境具有显著的影响,对黑潮路径变异的研究具有重要的意义。本文利用POM(Princeton Ocean Model)数值模式模拟了日本南部黑潮的路径变异情况,分析了黑潮大弯曲路径形成的可能机制。研究结果表明,当黑潮处于非大弯曲路径时,相对位势涡度的平均值呈现递减趋势,说明日本南部低位势涡度水在不断积累,这样会使得四国再循环流的强度增强,迫使黑潮保持平直路径,同时,近岸黑潮垂直流速剪切增大,斜压不稳定性的作用也逐渐增大;当黑潮从非大弯曲路径向大弯曲路径过渡时,再循环流强度的减弱会导致黑潮的流速剪切减小。根据海表高度异常场以及海洋上层流场信息发现,近岸黑潮附近的气旋涡会随着再循环流区域反气旋涡的东侧向南运动,最终导致黑潮大弯曲的发生。分析涡流的能量,结果显示,黑潮大弯曲路径的形成与斜压不稳定性密切相关。     

Anticyclonic Eddy Revealing Low Sea Surface Temperature in the Sea South of Japan: Case Study of the Eddy Observed in 1999–2000

Various kinds of datasets, such as satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface height, surface velocity produced by combining surface drifter and satellite altimeter data, and hydrographic data, led to the discovery of an anticyclonic eddy with lower SST than those of surrounding waters in the Kuroshio recirculation region south of Shikoku, as if the eddy were cyclonic. This anticyclonic eddy was formed east of Kyushu in late August to early September 1999 from the merger of two anticyclonic eddies which had migrated in the recirculation region to the sea south of Japan from the east. After the merger, the anticyclonic eddy strengthened abruptly and began to exhibit the low SST. In October, this eddy coalesced with the Kuroshio and moved swiftly eastward, accompanied by an amplitude growth of the Kuroshio meander. In mid November, off the Kii Peninsula, the eddy detached from the meandering Kuroshio. It then moved southwestward and again slowly propagated westward along the 30°N line. During this period, at least from late October 1999 to January 2000, SSTs over the anticyclonic eddy were found to be continuously lower than those of surrounding waters. This case tells us that we have to pay careful attention to the interpretation of mesoscale SST distributions. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

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.     

Primary Study of the Mechanism of Eddy Shedding from the Kuroshio Bend in Luzon Strait

The mechanism of the anticyclonic eddy's shedding from the Kuroshio bend in Luzon Strait has been studied using a nonlinear 2 1/2 layer model, in a domain including the North Pacific and South China Sea. The model is forced by steady zonal wind in the North Pacific. Energy analysis is adopted to detect the mechanism of the eddy shedding. Twelve experiments with unique changes of wind forcing speed (to obtain different Kuroshio transports at Luzon Strait) were performed to examine the relationship between the Kuroshio transport (KT) and the eddy shedding events. In the reference experiment with KT of 22.7 Sv (forced with zonal wind idealized from the annual mean wind stress from the COADS data set), the interval of eddy shedding is 70 days and the shed eddy centers at (20°N, 117.5°E). When the Kuroshio bend extends westward, the southern cyclonic perturbation grows so rapidly as to form a cyclonic eddy (18.5°N, 120.5°E) because of the frontal instability in the south of the Kuroshio bend. In the evolution of the cyclonic eddy, it cleaves the Kuroshio bend and triggers the separation of the anticyclonic eddy. In statistical terms, anticyclonic eddy shedding occurs only when KT fluctuates within a moderate range, between 21 Sv and 28 Sv. When the KT is larger than 28 Sv, a stronger frontal instability south of the Kuroshio bend tends to generate a cyclonic eddy of size similar to the width of the Luzon Strait. The bigger cyclonic eddy prevents the Kuroshio bend from extending into the SCS and does not lead to eddy shedding. On the other hand, when the KT decreases to less than 21 Sv, the frontal instability south of the Kuroshio bend is so weak that the size of corresponding cyclonic eddy is smaller than half the width of the Luzon Strait. The cyclonic eddy, lacking power, fails to cleave the Kuroshio bend and cause separation of an anticyclonic eddy; as a result, no eddy shedding occurred then, either.     

东海黑潮周边中尺度涡的分布、运动规律以及生成机制

为了探究东海黑潮周边涡旋分布、形成机理及运动规律,基于法国国家空间研究中心(CNES)卫星海洋学存档数据中心(AVISO)的中尺度涡旋数据集展开了研究。首先,统计了近27年东海黑潮周边的涡旋分布,发现在黑潮弯曲海域产生了650个涡旋,在黑潮中段海域产生了271个涡旋,其中直径100~150 km之间的涡旋数量最多,涡旋振幅主要集中在2~6 cm。其次,分析了东海黑潮的运动路径和涡运动过程,结果表明,黑潮气旋式弯曲海域内侧易产生气旋涡,且移动路径较长,如台湾东北海域黑潮流轴气旋式弯曲处产生的涡旋,其平均位移达到了87.6 km;当反气旋式弯曲海域内侧产生反气旋涡时,涡旋往往做徘徊运动。黑潮中段海域的涡旋呈现出气旋涡在黑潮主轴西侧、反气旋涡在黑潮主轴东侧的极性对称分布特征,两类涡都沿黑潮主轴向东北方向移动。最后,结合再分析的流场、海面高度数据,讨论了涡旋运动规律和生成机制。黑潮弯曲处涡旋的生成与黑潮流体边界层分离有关,奄美大岛南部到冲绳岛西侧的黑潮逆流对黑潮中段海域涡的极性对称分布起到了关键作用,涡旋在运动过程中通常经历生长、成熟和衰变三个阶段。     

日本南部黑潮路径发生弯曲的最优前期征兆及其发展机制

基于正压出入流模式, 利用条件非线性最优扰动(CNOP)方法研究初始异常的位置与模态对日本南部黑潮路径变异的影响。以模式模拟出的黑潮平直路径的平衡态作为参考态, 计算CNOP, 考察该扰动随时间的发展, 并与随机扰动的发展进行对比。结果表明, CNOP 能够导致黑潮弯曲路径发生, 随机扰动则不能。因此, CNOP 可以作为导致日本南部黑潮路径发生弯曲的一种最优前期征兆。通过分析CNOP 和随机扰动的发展过程, 可以得出: (1) CNOP 使黑潮发展成弯曲路径的过程是一个气旋涡向下游传播并增长的过程。(2) 气旋涡的向东传播都是非线性项的作用, 也就是涡度平流造成的。(3) CNOP和随机扰动发展过程中所产生的气旋涡均会传播到下游区域, 但是CNOP 产生的气旋涡能够增强, 最终导致弯曲路径发生, 而随机扰动产生的气旋涡则会减弱, 并不能导致弯曲路径发生。分析发现, 在CNOP 实验中, 非线性作用使气旋涡增大; 但在随机扰动实验中, 非线性作用使气旋涡减弱, 所以非线性作用对日本南部黑潮路径发生弯曲有重要影响。(4) 底摩擦效应对日本南部黑潮路径变异影响较小。本文揭示的黑潮路径发生弯曲的最优前期征兆及其非线性发展机制, 对提高黑潮路径变异的预报技巧具有重要意义。     

Numerical study on the summer circulation of the upper South China Sea and its establishment

A coupled single-layer/two-layer model is employed to study the South China Sea (SCS) upper circulation and its response before and after the onset of summer monsoon. It is found that, in summer, due to the β effect and the first baroclinic mode of the wind-driven current, a northward western boundary jet current is formed along the Indo-China Peninsula coast, and it leaves the coast at about 13° N and diffuses towards northeast; next to the Indo-China Peninsula, a large anticyclonic     

Chaotic Advection of the Shallow Kuroshio Coastal Waters

The shallow coastal water of the Enshu-Nada Sea (ENSW) recirculates regardless of whether the Kuroshio path is straight or has meanders. The recirculation is formed as a result of flow separation at the sharp coastline. The outputs of a recent numerical simulation of the Kuroshio current, including case of a short-term meander caused by an anticyclonic eddy, were analysed to track the motion of the ENSW. In contrast to the steady-flow cases, the unsteady cases showed that the ENSW discharges into the Kuroshio Extension region and intrudes further north into the Kuroshio-Oyashio confluence region due to chaotic advection. Two hyperbolic stagnation points of the velocity field characterise the transport paths; one south of the Izu peninsula and the other at the Kuroshio Extension. This mechanism exists even without the Ekman drift and may play an important role in the transportation of the fish eggs and larvae from the southern Japan spawning ground to the food abundant Kuroshio-Oyashio transition zone. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

台湾以东中尺度涡对黑潮入侵东海路径的影响

利用AVISO数据集的卫星高度计资料,分析了中国台湾以东中尺度涡的时空特征,通过具体的中尺度涡实例探讨了其对台湾以东黑潮路径的影响。研究表明气旋式中尺度涡在春夏季节的数目要少于反气旋式中尺度涡,在秋冬季节气旋式涡旋个数则多于反气旋涡;并且台东以东区域涡旋传播存在多种路径,涡旋的存在对台湾东北部黑潮入侵东海的路径具有重大影响,特别是2004年夏季台湾以东区域存在多个涡旋,相应的吕宋海峡黑潮主轴向东偏移明显,台湾东北黑潮入侵东海的路径发生了显著变化。     

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。     

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.     

进入中国南海的黑潮脱落中尺度涡的特征——基于OFES模式数据

自黑潮脱落并由吕宋海峡进入中国南海的中尺度涡(简称脱落涡旋)对黑潮与南海的水体交换、热量及物质输送等过程均有十分重要的作用.基于1993—2013年OFES(OGCM for the Earth Simulator)模式数据产品,分析研究了脱落涡旋的统计特征及其温盐流三维结构,并与卫星观测结果进行对比分析.OFES模式...     

Taiwan Current (Kuroshio) and Impinging Eddies

Considerable westward or nothwestward propagating eddies were found east of Taiwan that cross-explains the anomalies in the repeated hydrography, trajectory of drifting buoys and altimetric analyses. The sea level differences (SLD) across the Taiwan Current (Kuroshio) in the East Taiwan Channel (ETC) are utilized in order to examine the possible implication of eddies in the Taiwan Current transport. It is concluded that Taiwan is impinged by both cyclonic and anticyclonic mesoscale eddies at an interval of about 100 days. An approaching anticyclonic eddy will result in a higher SLD across the ETC and a larger mass transport of Taiwan Current, and, vice versa, a reduction of both SLD and the mass transport in the ETC as a cyclonic eddy arrives. The SLD-inferred northward transport in the ETC is highly coherent at the 100-day band with westward propagating eddies that originated in the interior ocean. The generation mechanism of these eddies are, however, still unclear. Leakage of the Kuroshio water to the east of the Ryukyu Islands is suggested due to the presence of cyclonic eddies. This 100-day rate of eddy-impingement invalidates any observation of 4 months or less, whether with direct or indirect measurements, because any conclusions depend on the presence or absence of eddies. To minimize the contamination from eddies, either long-term observations or eddy-removal procedures are required.     

夏季南海上层环流动力机制的数值研究

通过利用一个分区性的正压-斜压衔接模式来探讨夏季南海的上层环流特征及其动力机制,结果表明:夏季期间,由于风生环流的不稳定性促使在东沙群岛附近的气旋涡的强度及位置发生变化,并间接导致黑潮侵入南海北部的程度变化以及气旋涡南侧的反气旋式环流、西沙群岛西南侧的气旋涡的强度和范围出现波动现象;在南海南部的北向西边界流由于离岸的西南季风所驱动在中南半岛中部沿岸脱离岸线往东北方向的流动,导致沿岸的水体大量流失而在沿岸形成一支南向补偿流并在西沙群岛西南侧诱生一气旋涡,而上述的离岸西边界流则作顺时针方向流动,从而在南海南部形成反气旋式大环流;在南沙海槽附近出现的局地气旋涡和万安滩附近的气旋涡分别受β效应、底形效应的作用而形成.     

Satellite altimeter observations of nonlinear Rossby eddy–Kuroshio interaction at the Luzon Strait

Satellite altimeter sea level data from 1993 to 2008 are used to analyze the interaction of nonlinear Rossby eddies with the Kuroshio at the Luzon Strait (LS). The sea level anomaly data show that the west Pacific (WP) is a source of nonlinear Rossby eddies, and the South China Sea (SCS) is a sink. The LS serves as a gateway between the two. The scale analysis indicates that eddies with a radius larger than 150 km are strong enough to significantly alter the Kuroshio and are able to modify the local circulation pattern. Statistical analysis indicates that the probability for eddies to penetrate through the Kuroshio may reach at least 60%. A case study of an anticyclonic mesoscale eddy passing through the LS in June–July 2004 indicates that the Kuroshio behaves as an unsteady flow with its stream path frequently modified, in a way of cutting off, meandering and branching during its interaction with the eddy. We therefore suggest that nonlinear Rossby eddies may play a significant role in modification of the local circulation system near the LS and in exchanges of the mass, momentum and energy between the WP and the SCS.     

Three-dimensional numerical calculations of currents east of Taiwan Island in December 1997

numerical calculationsI~IOXAInong the numerical studies Of the circulation east of Taiwan Island, there were some studies, such as Yuan et al. (1998a, b), Wang et al. (1998). In their work, the Kuroshio east ofTaiwan Island and the currents southeast of Rgukyu-guntO were computed by using three-dimensional diagnOStic, semidiagnostic and prognostic model, respectively, based on the wind and hydrographic data obtained from two cruises, i. e., one cruise during October 1995, and the otherin…     

南海南部海域的多涡结构

基于美国海军的空间分辨率为0.5°×0.5°月平均的GDEM三维温盐资料,采用P矢量方法,计算了南沙南部海域的三维环流结构。结果表明,南沙南部海域不仅存在多涡结构,而且此多涡结构还存在明显的季节性变化。冬季,存在南沙海槽反气旋式涡、东南沙反气旋式涡和较弱的南沙气旋式涡;夏季,存在南沙反气旋式涡、巴拉望海槽西侧的气旋式涡和东南沙气旋式涡。     

海洋中地形强迫的孤立涡旋的演变及其相互作用

建立了一个描述中尺度涡的新的非线性方程,然后利用变分原理研究了孤立涡旋的Liapunov稳定性,指出反气旋和气旋涡都是稳定的。数值计算结果发现在β效应的作用下这些涡旋都向西移动而不存在向南的移动,然而在反气旋涡的上游存在一个孤立地形(例如海山)的话,孤立地形会使反气旋涡向南移动,而且移动的轨迹取决于孤立地形的位置。当两个反气旋涡同时存在并发生相互作用时,上游孤立地形使这两个反气旋涡产生弱合并并出现弱分离。而且孤立地形的位置对这两个涡的移动和旋转有重要影响。