Dynamical Links between the Decadal Variability of the Oyashio and Kuroshio Extensions
Abstract
Rather than a single and continuous boundary current outflow, long-term satellite observations reveal that the Oyashio Extension (OE) in the North Pacific Subarctic Gyre comprises two independent, northeast–southwest-slanted front systems. With a mean latitude along 40°N, the western OE front exists primarily west of 153°E and is a continuation of the subarctic gyre western boundary current. The eastern OE front, also appearing along 40°N, is located between 153° and 170°E, whose entity is disconnected from its western counterpart. During 1982–2016, both of the OE fronts exhibit prominent decadal fluctuations, although their signals show little contemporaneous correlation. An upper-ocean temperature budget analysis based on the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean, phase II (ECCO2), state estimate reveals that the advective temperature flux convergence plays a critical role in determining the low-frequency temperature changes relating to the OE fronts. Specifically, the western OE front variability is controlled by the decadal mesoscale eddy modulations in the upstream Kuroshio Extension (KE). An enhanced eddy activity increases the poleward heat transport and works to strengthen the western OE front. The eastern OE front variability, on the other hand, is dictated by both the meridional shift of the KE position and the circulation intensitymore »
- Authors:
-
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1407454
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1541842
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0005111; SC006766
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Climate
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Journal of Climate Journal Volume: 30 Journal Issue: 23; Journal ID: ISSN 0894-8755
- Publisher:
- American Meteorological Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Citation Formats
Qiu, Bo, Chen, Shuiming, and Schneider, Niklas. Dynamical Links between the Decadal Variability of the Oyashio and Kuroshio Extensions. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0397.1.
Qiu, Bo, Chen, Shuiming, & Schneider, Niklas. Dynamical Links between the Decadal Variability of the Oyashio and Kuroshio Extensions. United States. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0397.1
Qiu, Bo, Chen, Shuiming, and Schneider, Niklas. Fri .
"Dynamical Links between the Decadal Variability of the Oyashio and Kuroshio Extensions". United States. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0397.1.
@article{osti_1407454,
title = {Dynamical Links between the Decadal Variability of the Oyashio and Kuroshio Extensions},
author = {Qiu, Bo and Chen, Shuiming and Schneider, Niklas},
abstractNote = {Rather than a single and continuous boundary current outflow, long-term satellite observations reveal that the Oyashio Extension (OE) in the North Pacific Subarctic Gyre comprises two independent, northeast–southwest-slanted front systems. With a mean latitude along 40°N, the western OE front exists primarily west of 153°E and is a continuation of the subarctic gyre western boundary current. The eastern OE front, also appearing along 40°N, is located between 153° and 170°E, whose entity is disconnected from its western counterpart. During 1982–2016, both of the OE fronts exhibit prominent decadal fluctuations, although their signals show little contemporaneous correlation. An upper-ocean temperature budget analysis based on the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean, phase II (ECCO2), state estimate reveals that the advective temperature flux convergence plays a critical role in determining the low-frequency temperature changes relating to the OE fronts. Specifically, the western OE front variability is controlled by the decadal mesoscale eddy modulations in the upstream Kuroshio Extension (KE). An enhanced eddy activity increases the poleward heat transport and works to strengthen the western OE front. The eastern OE front variability, on the other hand, is dictated by both the meridional shift of the KE position and the circulation intensity change immediately north of the eastern OE. Different baroclinic adjustment speeds for the KE and OE are found to cause the in-phase changes between these latter two processes. Lack of contemporaneous correlation between the decadal western and eastern OE variability is found to be related to the interaction of the meridionally migrating KE jet with the Shatsky Rise near 159°E.},
doi = {10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0397.1},
journal = {Journal of Climate},
number = 23,
volume = 30,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0397.1
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Mesoscale SST perturbation-induced impacts on climatological precipitation in the Kuroshio-Oyashio extension region, as revealed by the WRF simulations
journal, September 2018
- Gao, Jiaxiang; Zhang, Rong-Hua; Wang, Hongna
- Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, Vol. 37, Issue 2
Identification of the fronts from the Kuroshio Extension to the Subarctic Current using absolute dynamic topographies in satellite altimetry products
journal, March 2018
- Nakano, Hideyuki; Tsujino, Hiroyuki; Sakamoto, Kei
- Journal of Oceanography, Vol. 74, Issue 4
Mesoscale SST perturbation-induced impacts on climatological precipitation in the Kuroshio-Oyashio extension region, as revealed by the WRF simulations
journal, September 2018
- Gao, Jiaxiang; Zhang, Rong-Hua; Wang, Hongna
- Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, Vol. 37, Issue 2
Identification of the fronts from the Kuroshio Extension to the Subarctic Current using absolute dynamic topographies in satellite altimetry products
journal, March 2018
- Nakano, Hideyuki; Tsujino, Hiroyuki; Sakamoto, Kei
- Journal of Oceanography, Vol. 74, Issue 4
Meridional Shift of the Oyashio Extension Front in the Past 36 Years
journal, September 2018
- Wu, Baolan; Lin, Xiaopei; Qiu, Bo
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 45, Issue 17
The Signature of Oceanic Processes in Decadal Extratropical SST Anomalies
journal, August 2018
- O'Reilly, Christopher H.; Zanna, Laure
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 45, Issue 15
Interannual Eddy Kinetic Energy Modulations in the Agulhas Return Current
journal, September 2018
- Zhu, Yanan; Qiu, Bo; Lin, Xiaopei
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, Vol. 123, Issue 9
Low ocean-floor rises regulate subpolar sea surface temperature by forming baroclinic jets
journal, March 2018
- Mitsudera, H.; Miyama, T.; Nishigaki, H.
- Nature Communications, Vol. 9, Issue 1
Enhanced Warming and Intensification of the Kuroshio Extension, 1999–2013
journal, January 2019
- Wang, You-Lin; Wu, Chau-Ron
- Remote Sensing, Vol. 11, Issue 1