Origins of the Kuroshio and Mindinao Currents
Abstract
This study contributes to long-term efforts toward understanding: the origins of the Kuroshio Current and circulation of the Western Pacific. The proposed observational program focuses on understanding: the annual cycle of the Kuroshio and its associated mesoscale variability, quantifying Kuroshio spatial structure and temporal evolution, and investigating Kuroshio and mesoscale response to strong monsoonal forcing. The boundary currents off the east coast of the Philippines are of critical importance to the general circulation of the Pacific Ocean. The westward flowing North Equatorial Current (NEC) runs into the Philippine coast and bifurcates into the northward Kuroshio and the southward Mindanao Current (MC) (Figure 1; Nitani, 1972). The partitioning of the flow into the Kuroshio and MC is an important observable. Quantifying these flows and understanding bifurcation dynamics are essential to improving predictions of regional circulation, and to characterizing property transports that ultimately affect Pacific climate. Fluctuations in the Kuroshio and MC can significantly impact variability downstream. For example, the Kuroshio penetrates through Luzon Strait into the South China Sea and onto the East China Sea shelf. The Kuroshio front dramatically alters stratification and may impact internal wave climate. This effort focuses on quantifying Kuroshio variability and dynamics in the formation region east of Luzon and Taiwan.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA590613
Entities
People
- Craig Lee
- David Tang
- Jason I. Gobat
- Kai-chieh Yang
- Luc Rainville
- Ming-Huei Chang
Organizations
- University of Washington