Anticyclonic Eddy Revealing Low Sea Surface Temperature in the Sea South of Japan: Case Study of the Eddy Observed in 1999–2000 |
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Authors: | Kohtaro Hosoda Kimio Hanawa |
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Institution: | (1) Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Graduate School Science, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan;(2) Department of Geophysics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan |
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Abstract: | 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. |
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Keywords: | Anticyclonic eddy SST SSH the Kuroshio recirculation region |
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