Decadal variations of the transport and bifurcation of the Pacific North Equatorial Current

Decadal variations of the transport and bifurcation latitude of the North Equatorial Current (NEC) in the northwestern tropical Pacific Ocean over 1959–2011 are investigated using outputs of the Ocean Analysis/Reanalysis System 3 prepared by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The results indicate that the NEC transports at different longitudes have different decadal fluctuations, which are strongest around 139°E. The NEC bifurcation latitude (NBL) has its largest decadal variations around 150 m. Extremes of the decadal NEC transport and NBL before 1975 correspond to different circulation anomalies from those after 1975. The regression map against decadal NBL exhibits negative sea surface height (SSH) anomalies and a cyclonic gyre anomaly over the northwestern tropical Pacific Ocean, while that against the decadal NEC transport exhibits a dipole structure, with positive/negative SSH anomalies to the north/south of about 13°N. Furthermore, decadal variations of the NEC transport and NBL over the whole period have different correlations with Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and Tropical Pacific Decadal Variability (TPDV). Generally, the decadal NEC transport shows higher correlations with PDO than with TPDV, while the NBL has higher correlations with TPDV than with PDO. The high correlation of decadal NEC transport with PDO mainly comes from that of its northern branch with PDO, while its southern branch shows higher correlation with TPDV.