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.     

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.     

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.     

Eddy Shedding from the Kuroshio Bend at Luzon Strait

TOPEX/POSEDIENT-ERS satellite altimeter data along with the mean state from the Parallel Ocean Climate Model result have been used to investigate the variation of Kuroshio intrusion and eddy shedding at Luzon Strait during 1992–2001. The Kuroshio penetrates into the South China Sea and forms a bend. The Kuroshio bend varies with time, periodically shedding anticyclonic eddies. Criteria of eddy shedding are identified: 1) When the shedding event occurs, there are usually two centers of high Sea Surface Height (SSH) together with negative geostrophic vorticity in the Kuroshio Bend (KB) area. 2) Between the two centers of high SSH there usually exists positive geostrophic vorticity. These criteria have been used to determine the eddy shedding times and locations. The most frequent eddy shedding intervals are 70, 80 and 90 days. In both the winter and summer monsoon period, the most frequent locations are 119.5°E and 120°E, which means that the seasonal variation of eddy shedding location is unclear.     

Index of Kuroshio penetrating the Luzon Strait and its preliminary application

A method of quantifying the penetration of the Kuroshio into the Luzon Strait is improved with simulated salinity. The new method is applied in an area bounded by 0.6 correlation coefficient contour to the point of 20 N, 118 E which is determined by EOF analysis. The results suggest that the method is suitable for indicating Kuroshio’s intrusion into the South China Sea quantitatively. As an indicator, the Kuroshio penetrating the Luzon index (KLI) reveals obvious annual cycle and weak bimodality. For annual periods, indexes on the surface and subsurface which point the same events have totally opposite signs due to the winter burst of surface westward current. On long-term period, the surface and subsurface indexes have consistent signs. A subsurface index on 150 m avoiding high frequency signals from the surface can be used for indicating long-term Kuroshio intrusion variation. An anti-phase pattern in wavelet coherence map between KLI and Japan large meander index shows that the Luzon Strait is a "smoother" reducing the variability of the Kuroshio transport changes on long-term periods.     

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.     

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.     

黑潮流轴在吕宋海峡的变化分析

黑潮在流经吕宋海峡时呈现各种时间尺度的流态变化。本文基于高分辨率的区域海洋环流模式(ROMS)输出数据,分析了黑潮主流轴在吕宋海峡附近的变化特征和可能原因。研究结果表明,黑潮流轴在该区域具有明显的年际、季节和季节内变化,其中季节内变化最为强烈;在年际和季节时间尺度上,黑潮流轴在表层主要受局地风驱动的艾克曼漂流的影响,而在次表层则主要由黑潮本身的惯性决定;在季节内时间尺度上,黑潮流轴的变化主要受制于涡旋与黑潮的相互作用。     

源区黑潮季节变异及其动力机制的数值研究

应用POM2K模式对中国海黑潮区气候态平均环流进行了数值模拟。采用正交曲线网格, 模式区域为太平洋海盆, 特别的在中国海区域进行加密并较好的拟合了岸线; 垂向分为21层, 并在海表9层以上采用对数网格分布; 采用COADS气候态月平均的风应力, 并将模式的温度结果和MODIS月平均的SST数据进行同化, 然后将模式模拟出的流量、海表高度异常同实测数据和卫星观测数据进行了对比验证, 结果均显示模拟结果可信度较高。接着本文探讨了北赤道流分岔位置季节性的变化对源区黑潮流量的影响, 结果表明, 秋冬季节北赤道流分岔位置较靠北, 源区黑潮流量较大, 而春夏季节北赤道流分岔位置较靠南, 黑潮流量较小。在此基础上, 针对源区黑潮的动力机制进行了数值实验。实验中主要考虑了以下动力因子对源区黑潮季节性变化的影响: (1)风应力; (2)非线性; (3)黑潮的斜压敏感性, 然后通过与控制实验的对比, 讨论了不同的动力因素对吕宋海峡净流量和吕宋海峡上层环流场的影响。     

Evolution of the Kuroshio Tropical Water from the Luzon Strait to the east of Taiwan

This study examines the evolution of the Kuroshio Tropical Water (KTW) from the Luzon Strait to the I-Lan Ridge northeast of Taiwan. Historical conductivity temperature depth (CTD) profiles are analyzed using a method based on the calculation of the root mean square (rms) difference of the salinity along isopycnals. In combination with analysis of the distribution of the salinity maximum, this method enables water masses in the Kuroshio and the vicinity, to be tracked and distinguished as well as the detection of the areas where water masses are modified. Vertical and horizontal eddy diffusivities are then calculated from hydrographic and current velocity data to elucidate the dynamics underlying the KTW interactions with the surrounding water masses. Changes in KTW properties mainly occur in the southern half of the Luzon Strait, while moderate variations are observed east of Taiwan on the right flank of the Kuroshio. In spite of a front dividing the KTW from the South China Sea Tropical Water (SCSTW) on Kuroshio׳s western side, mixing between these two water masses seemingly occurs in the Luzon Strait. These water masses׳ interaction is not evident east of Taiwan. The estimation of eddy diffusivities yields high horizontal diffusivities (K_h~10² m² s⁻¹) all along the Kuroshio path, due to the high current shear along the Kuroshio׳s flanks. The vertical diffusivity approaches 10⁻³ m² s⁻¹, with the highest values in the southern Luzon Strait. Instabilities generated when the Kuroshio encounters the rough topography of this region may enhance both vertical and horizontal diffusivities there.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

谱松弛动力降尺度方法及其在吕宋海峡黑潮模拟中的应用

本文采用区域高分辨率海洋数值模型,将谱松弛动力降尺度方法应用于吕宋海峡及其邻近区域,对吕宋海峡黑潮流径的流型特征进行模拟与分析。实验结果显示,应用谱松弛法能够较好地改善区域模型的模拟效果：通过约束大尺度误差,不仅能直接约束区域内的大尺度海洋状态,也间接调整了小尺度过程的演变规律,改善了吕宋海峡黑潮流径的模拟效果。     

黑潮水对台湾海峡东南部源水的影响：数值结果

Model output from a Pacific basin-wide three-dimensional physical-biogeochemical model during the period of 1991 to 2008 was used to investigate the impact of Kuroshio water on the source water of the southeastern Taiwan Strait. Based on the characteristic salinities of both Kuroshio water and the South China Sea water, a Kuroshio impact index (KII) was designed to measure the degree of impact. The KII correlates significantly with the northeast-southwest component of wind stress, but the former lags the latter by approximately two months. The correlation coefficient between them increases from 0.267 4 to 0.852 9, with a lag time increasing from 0 to 63 days. The impact of Kuroshio Water is greater in winter and spring than in summer and autumn. At the interannual time scale, El Niño and La Niña events play an important role in impacting the KII. During El Niño events, more Kuroshio water contributes to the source water of the southeastern Taiwan Strait. Conversely, during La Niña events, less Kuroshio water contributes to the source water.     

Trajectory of Mesoscale Eddies in the Kuroshio Recirculation Region

Trajectories of mesoscale eddies in the Kuroshio recirculation region were investigated by using sea surface height (SSH) anomaly observed by the TOPEX/POSEIDON and ERS altimeters. Cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies have been traced on maps of the filtered SSH anomaly fields composed from the altimeter observations every ten days. Both the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies propagate westward in the Kuroshio recirculation region from a region south of the Kuroshio Extension. The propagation speed of these eddies has been estimated as about 7 cm s⁻¹, which is much faster than the phase speed theoretically estimated for the baroclinic first-mode Rossby wave in the study area. It was also found that in the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge region, most of eddies pass through the gap between the Hachijojima Island and Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, and some of the eddies decay around the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge. It seems that the trajectory of the eddies is crucially affected by the bottom topography. In the region south of Shikoku and east of Kyushu, some of the eddies coalesce with the Kuroshio. It is also suggested that this coalescence may trigger the path variation of the Kuroshio in the sea south of Japan. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Geodetic measurements in the ocean

This paper covers the topic of marine geodesy, its goals, and applications. Specifically discussed are position determination and establishment of geodetic control on the ocean bottom, ocean surface, and subsurface, and the determination of the geoid, a vertical reference surface. The various techniques used in position determination (including satellite, airborne, radio, inertial and acoustic techniques) are assessed in terms of accuracy, coverage, and contribution to the solution of specific problems associated with position and control. The results of several marine geodetic control experiments are presented. Classical techniques for the determination of the geoid are discussed and assessed, as are new techniques such as satellite altimetry. The outlook for marine geodetic measurements in the ocean is outlined in terms of what is being planned or considered for the next decade, and several recommendations are made.     

Numerical Study of the Generation and Propagation of Trigger Meanders of the Kuroshio South of Japan

We examine the processes underlying the generation and propagation of the small meander of the Kuroshio south of Japan which occurs prior to the transition from the non-large meander path to the large meander path. The study proceeds numerically by using a two-layer, flat-bottom, quasi-geostrophic inflow-outflow model which takes account of the coastal geometries of Kyushu, Nansei Islands, part of the East China Sea, and the Izu Ridge. The model successfully reproduces the observed generation and propagation features of what is called "trigger meander" until it passes by Cape Shiono-misaki; presumably because of the absence of the bottom topography, the applicability of the present numerical model becomes questionable after the trigger meander passes by Cape Shiono-misaki. The generation of the trigger meander off the south-eastern coast of Kyushu is shown to be associated with the increase in the supply of cyclonic vorticity by the enhanced current velocity in the upper layer along the southern coast of Kyushu where the no-slip boundary condition is employed. Thereafter, the trigger meander propagates eastward while inducing an anticyclone-cyclone-cyclone pair in the lower layer. The lower-layer cyclone induced in this way, in particular, plays a crucial role in intensifying the trigger meander trough via cross-stream advection in the upper layer; the intensified trigger meander trough then further amplifies the lower-layer cyclone. This joint evolution of the upper-layer meander trough and the lower-layer cyclone indicates that baroclinic instability is the dominant mechanism underlying the rapid amplification of the eastward propagating trigger meander.     

Fluctuation in volume transport distribution accompanied by the Kuroshio front migration in the Tokara Strait

A relation between migration of the Kuroshio front and fluctuation of distribution of volume transport in the Tokara Strait was described, using sea level records at five tide gauge stations around the strait and data which were composed of sea surface temperature, XBT casts, sea surface salinity and velocities at 20 m, 75 m and 150 m depths taken en route a ferryboat. The Kuroshio front extends to about 150 m depth. The sea surface salinity and the horizontal velocities abruptly change at the front. There is a good correlation in a period range from half a month to two months between the migration of the front, which is not only at the surface but also in the subsurface, and the sea level fluctuation at Nakano-shima. A northward migration of the front with a period range from 17 to 50 days decreases the transport in the southern strait between Naze and Nakano-shima but increases in the northern strait between Nakano-shima and Sata-misaki. The northward migration intensifies inflow into Kagoshima Bay and the Ohsumi Branch Current. Correlation between the transport in the northern strait and the Ohsumi Branch Current is significant in the period range from 30 to 50 days. In this significant period range, the former leads the latter by about 3 days.     

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。