Study on the Kuroshio and the Tsushima Current |
| |
| Authors: | Masaki Kawabe |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Nakano-ku, Minamidai 1-15-1, 164, Tokyo, Japan
|
| |
| Abstract: | I summarize the variations of the path of the Kuroshio and of the Tsushima Current mainly based on the results of my studies. The Tsushima Current forms three branches just after it enters the Japan Sea through the Tsushima Strait. The first and third branch currents flow along the Japanese and Korean coasts, respectively, and the second branch current flows from the western channel of the Tsushima Strait to the west of the Oki Islands only in summer from June to August. Properties of the topographic waves which are thought to work on the formation of the second branch are described mainly in terms of the dispersion relations. The Kuroshio has three typical paths,i.e., the nearshore and offshore non-large-meander paths and the typical large-meander path. The Kuroshio alternately takes the nearshore and offshore paths in the non-large-meander period, occasionally changes from the nearshore nonlarge-meander path to the large-meander path and, after having taken the large-meander path for several years, changes to the offshore non-large-meander path. Sea levels south of Japan are clearly different between the non-large-meander and large-meander periods, while they are not different between the periods of the nearshore and offshore non-large-meander paths. But, sea level and water properties in the coastal region show remarkable features during short periods of transitions between the typical non-large-meander paths. Future problems and subjects of studies on these currents are indicated. Especially, importance of velocity monitoring of the Kuroshio is emphasized, and a design of the observation across the Tokara Strait is proposed. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
| 本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录！ |
|
