A comparison of the strength and position variability of the Kuroshio Extension SST front

Peilong Yu; Lifeng Zhang; Mingyang Liu; Quanjia Zhong; Yongchui Zhang; Xin Li

doi:10.1007/s13131-020-1567-3

Volume 39 Issue 5

May 2020

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Peilong Yu, Lifeng Zhang, Mingyang Liu, Quanjia Zhong, Yongchui Zhang, Xin Li. A comparison of the strength and position variability of the Kuroshio Extension SST front[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2020, 39(5): 26-34. doi: 10.1007/s13131-020-1567-3

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Peilong Yu, Lifeng Zhang, Mingyang Liu, Quanjia Zhong, Yongchui Zhang, Xin Li. A comparison of the strength and position variability of the Kuroshio Extension SST front[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2020, 39(5): 26-34. doi: 10.1007/s13131-020-1567-3

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A comparison of the strength and position variability of the Kuroshio Extension SST front

doi: 10.1007/s13131-020-1567-3

1.
College of Meteorology and Oceanography, National University of Defense Technology, Nanjing 211101, China
2.
No. 91939 Troops of PLA, Jiangmen 529100, China
3.
State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (LASG), Institute of Atmospheric Physic, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
4.
College of Earth Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

Funds: The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 41975066, 41605051 and 41406003; the Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research under contract No. SKLEC-KF201707; the High-Tech Innovation Think-Tank Youth Project under contract No. DXB-ZKQN-2016-019; Jiangsu Provincial Natural Science Foundation under contract No. BK20130064.

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail: zhanglif_qxxy@sina.cn
Received Date: 2019-02-11
Accepted Date: 2019-05-13

Available Online: 2020-12-28

Publish Date: 2020-05-25

Abstract

Abstract

This study compares the seasonal and interannual-to-decadal variability in the strength and position of the Kuroshio Extension front (KEF) using high-resolution satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height (SSH) data. Results show that the KEF strength has an obvious seasonal variation that is similar at different longitudes, with a stronger (weaker) KEF during the cold (warm) season. However, the seasonal variation in the KEF position is relatively weak and varies with longitude. In contrast, the low-frequency variation of the KEF position is more distinct than that of the KEF strength even though they are well correlated. On both seasonal and interannual-to-decadal time scales, the western part of the KEF (142°–144°E) has the greatest variability in strength, while the eastern part of the KEF (149°–155°E) has the greatest variability in position. In addition, the relationships between wind-forced Rossby waves and the low-frequency variability in the KEF strength and position are also discussed by using the statistical analysis methods and a wind-driven hindcast model. A positive (negative) North Pacific Oscillation (NPO)-like atmospheric forcing generates positive (negative) SSH anomalies over the central North Pacific. These oceanic signals then propagate westward as Rossby waves, reaching the KE region about three years later, favoring a strengthened (weakened) and northward (southward)-moving KEF.
- sea surface temperature,
- Kuroshio Extension front,
- North Pacific Oscillation-like atmospheric forcing,
- oceanic Rossby waves

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References(38)

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