Dynamic Structure of the Kuroshio South of Kyushu in Relation to the Kuroshio Path Variations |
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| Authors: | Eitarou Oka Masaki Kawabe |
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| Institution: | (1) Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Minamidai, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-8639, Japan |
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| Abstract: | 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. |
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| Keywords: | Kuroshio potential vorticity current velocity Tokara Strait large and small meanders |
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