Kuroshio extension variability explored through assimilation of TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data into a quasi-geostrophic model

Mesoscale features in the eastward extension of the Kuroshio were investigated using assimilation of TOPEX/POSEIDON (T/P) data into a three-layer quasi-geostrophic model. The T/P data exhibited an elongated state of the southern recirculation gyre in 1993–95 and 1997, between whose two periods the gyre had a contracted state in 1995–96. A few stationary eddies were located in the southern gyre during the contracted state. The baroclinic instability, which was indicated by the phase shift from the uppermost-to the lowest-layer anomalies toward the downstream side, was evident near the Kuroshio Extension (KE) path. Since the instability never appeared in the artificial model without bottom topography, the topographic barrier for the eastward flow in the lowest layer was a necessary condition for the instability. The instability synchronized with the transition in the western region of the KE axis from the elongated to the contracted states. This evolution was interpreted as if the baroclinic instability played some part in the KE states and was a trigger for the transition from the elongated to the contracted states.     

Comparison of Kuroshio surface velocities derived from satellite altimeter and drifting buoy data

Sea-surface geostrophic velocities for the Kuroshio region calculated from TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetry data together within situ oceanographic data are compared with surface velocities derived from drifting buoy trajectories. The geostrophic velocities agree well with the observed velocities, suggesting that the Kuroshio surface layer is essentially in geostrophic balance, within measurement error. The comparison is improved a little when the centrifugal acceleration is taken into account. The observed velocities are divided into the temporal mean and fluctuation components, and the partitioning of velocities between these two components is examined. For the Kuroshio region, most of the fluctuation components of the velocities derived from drifting buoys are found to be positive. This result suggests that Eulerian mean velocities for the Kuroshio region estimated from drifting buoy data tend to be larger than actual means, due to the buoy’s tendency to sample preferentially in the high-velocity Kuroshio.     

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.     

提取分潮调和常数的新方法——正交方法

给出了提取潮汐调和常数的一种新方法--正交方法,并应用1992～1997年的TOPEX/POSEIDON卫星高度计遥感资料,提取中国海M2分潮调和常数.同时,利用最小二乘法来提取中国海M2分潮调和常数,两种方法结果比较渤海、黄海、东海海域M2分潮振幅、迟角的均方差分别是3.3 cm,3.6°;南中国海海域M2分潮振幅、迟角均方差分别是1.1 cm,1.7°,结果表明正交方法是一种可信的具有实用性的方法.     

Calibration of TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason Altimeter Data to Construct a Continuous Record of Mean Sea Level Change

Jason, the successor to the TOPEX/POSEIDON (T/P) mission, has been designed to continue seamlessly the decade-long altimetric sea level record initiated by T/P. Intersatellite calibration has determined the relative bias to an accuracy of 1.6 mm rms. Tide gauge calibration of the T/P record during its original mission shows a drift of -0.1 ± 0.4 mm/year. The tide gauge calibration of 20 months of nominal Jason data indicates a drift of -5.7 ± 1.0 mm/year, which may be attributable to errors in the orbit ephemeris and the Jason Microwave Radiometer. The analysis of T/P and Jason altimeter data over the past decade has resulted in a determination of global mean sea level change of +2.8 ± 0.4 mm/year.     

The Harvest Experiment: Monitoring Jason-1 and TOPEX/POSEIDON from a California Offshore Platform Special Issue: Jason-1 Calibration/Validation

We present calibration results from Jason-1 (2001–) and TOPEX/POSEIDON (1992–) overflights of a California offshore oil platform (Harvest). Data from Harvest indicate that current Jason-1 sea-surface height (SSH) measurements are high by 138 ± 18 mm. Excepting the bias, the high accuracy of the Jason-1 measurements is in evidence from the overflights. In orbit for over 10 years, the T/P measurement system is well calibrated, and the SSH bias is statistically indistinguishable from zero. Also reviewed are over 10 years of geodetic results from the Harvest experiment.     

渤、黄、东海同化TOPEX/POSEIDON高度计资料的半日分潮数值模拟

使用调和分析方法分析了渤、黄、东海中的TOPEX/POSEIDON沿轨高度计资料,并利用基于最优插值理论的混合法把交叉点处的两个主要的半日分潮(M2和S2)同化到动力模式中。同化结果显示,两个主要半日分潮的分布特征与前人动力模式结果比较一致,在同化高度计资料以后模式结果M2分潮与167个实测站的“距离”为17.2cm,S2分潮为8.9cm,比单纯的动力模式结果精度分别提高14.9%和23.3%。     

南海TOPEX/POSEIDON高度计资料的正交响应法潮汐分析

根据Munk等提出的响应法 (ResponseMethod)和Groves等 ( 1 975 )的正交响应方法(OrthogonalizedConvolutionMethod)的思想 ,利用正交潮响应法对 2 4 8个周期超过 6年的南中国海的TOPEX/POSEIDON卫星高度计资料进行潮波分析。在分析中引入全日潮族和半日潮族 ,并利用正交潮函数 (OrthotideFunction)分析出了 3个主要的全日分潮 (K1 、O1 、P1 )和 3个主要半日分潮 (M2 、S2 、N2 ) ,并给出了K1 、O1 、M2 、S2 的等振幅线和同潮时图 ,结果与其他学者的主要结果符合得很好。通过与整个海区 5 3个验潮站的主要全日分潮K1 分潮和主要半日分潮M2 分潮的比较 ,K1 分潮的振幅和迟角的平均绝对误差分别为 4.73cm和 1 1 .6°,而M2 分潮的分别为 1 1 .91cm和 2 8.4°,优于Mazzega( 1 994)的结果。     

Seasonal and interannual variations in the East Sakhalin current revealed by TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data

Seasonal and interannual variations in the East Sakhalin Current (ESC) are investigated using ten-year records of the sea level anomaly (SLA) observed by the TOPEX/POSEIDON (T/P) altimeter. The T/P SLA clearly documents seasonal and interannual variations in the ESC along the east coast of Sakhalin Island, although sea ice masks the region from January to April. Estimates of surface current velocity anomaly derived from T/P SLA are in good agreement with drifting buoy observations. The ESC is strong in winter, with a typical current velocity of 30–40 cm s⁻¹ in December, and almost disappears in summer. Southward flow of the ESC is confined to the shelf and slope region and consists of two velocity cores. These features of the ESC are consistent with short-term observations reported in previous studies. Analysis of the ten-year records of T/P SLA confirms that the structure of the ESC is maintained each winter and the seasonal cycle is repeated every year, although the strength of the ESC shows large interannual variations. Seasonal and interannual variations in the ESC are discussed in relation to wind-driven circulation in the Sea of Okhotsk, using wind stress and wind stress curl fields derived from European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis data and a scatterometer-derived wind product. Seasonal and interannual variations of the anticyclonic eddy in the Kuril Basin are also revealed using T/P SLA.     

利用卫星高度计资料分析热带大西洋表层环流的季节性变化

利用1993年4月至2001年3月的TOPEX/POSEIDON卫星高度计遥感资料,研究了热带大西洋(15°S-25°N,50°W-5°W)海面高度距平和表层环流结构的季节性变化。研究结果表明:夏季和冬季海面高度距平分布呈相反的结构,低纬度海区(0°-15°N之间的海区)海表风应力旋度所产生的Ekman抽吸而导致的海面升降是该海区海面高度距平季节性振荡的重要影响因素。热带大西洋表层流结构大部分海域季节变化不明显,部分流系具有明显季节振荡,东向的北赤道逆流夏季强度较大,冬、春季流速较小;非洲沿岸流冬季流向为东南向,其他季节流向为东北向。值得一提的是,几内亚海湾表层流秋、冬季为东向,而春、夏季为西向。通过卫星跟踪ARGOS漂流浮标观测结果进行的对比验证表明,上述遥感资料分析的表层地转流场与海上观测结果一致。     

引入差比关系法分析西北太平洋TOPEX/POSEIDON卫星高度计测高数据

TOPEX/POSEIDON(T/P)卫星高度计数据信息中存在周期成分混淆问题.对其中的一类混淆引入差比关系方法对混淆的分潮进行分离.卫星轨道交叉点资料包括升轨和降轨资料,资料量比沿轨点资料多1倍,经分析发现:在已有为期6a多的观测资料时间序列中,在沿轨处混淆的分潮如K₁和SSA在交叉点处不再混淆,可以直接分离.因此首先对交叉点资料进行调和分析.然后由交叉点的分析结果得到分潮间的差比关系,处理到相近的沿轨点处,从而得到沿轨点的调和常数.用引入差比关系方法,对西北太平洋海区6a多的T/P卫星高度计资料进行了潮汐分析,并与沿岸及岛屿验潮站资料进行了比较,所得结果较满意.     

基于T/P 和Jason-1 高度计数据的渤黄东海潮汐信息提取

对19a的TOPEX/POSEIDON(以下称T/P)和Jason-1卫星高度计测高数据进行调和分析,得到渤黄东海海域的8个主要分潮(M2、S2、N2、K2、K1、O1、P1和Q1)。提出一种将两类卫星高度计数据统一的方法,消除了因两类卫星高度计校正算法等不同所导致的相互之间的偏差。变轨后的T/P与Jason-1卫星加密了高度计对潮汐观测的空间分布。通过对交叉点处升轨与降轨的潮汐调和分析结果进行比较,检验调和分析方法及高度计数据的可靠性;将基于高度计数据的调和分析结果与验潮站资料进行比较,以检验其正确性。4个主要分潮(M2、S2、K1、O1)振幅之差的均方根介于1.0~1.8cm,迟角之差的均方根介于4.1°~7.8°。与已有研究结果相比,调和分析结果的精确性有所提高。在此基础上,综合变轨前后两类高度计测高数据的调和分析结果,给出并分析了渤黄东海4个主要分潮的同潮图。