Influence of Mesoscale Eddies on Variations of the Kuroshio Path South of Japan |
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| Authors: | Naoto Ebuchi Kimio Hanawa |
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| Institution: | (1) Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Graduate School of 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: | The influences of mesoscale eddies on variations of the Kuroshio path south of Japan have been investigated using time series
of the Kuroshio axis location and altimeter-derived sea surface height maps for a period of seven years from 1993 to 1999,
when the Kuroshio followed its non-large meander path. It was found that both the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies may interact
with the Kuroshio and trigger short-term meanders of the Kuroshio path, although not all eddies that approached or collided
with the Kuroshio formed meanders. An anticyclonic eddy that revolves clockwise in a region south of Shikoku and Cape Shionomisaki
with a period of about 5–6 months was found to propagate westward along about 30°N and collide with the Kuroshio in the east
of Kyushu or south of Shikoku. This collision sometimes triggers meanders which propagate over the whole region south of Japan.
The eddy was advected downstream, generating a meander on the downstream side to the east of Cape Shionomisaki. After the
eddy passed Cape Shionomisaki, it detached from the Kuroshio and started to move westward again. Sometimes the eddy merges
with other anticyclonic eddies traveling from the east. Coalescence of cyclonic eddies, which are also generated in the Kuroshio
Extension region and propagate westward in the Kuroshio recirculation region south of Japan, into the Kuroshio in the east
of Kyushu, also triggers meanders which mainly propagate only in a region west of Cape Shionomisaki.
This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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| Keywords: | Mesoscale eddy Kuroshio satellite altimetry remote sensing short-term meander |
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