The study of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea and the currents east of the Ryukyu Islands

In this study, the inverse method is used to compute the Kuroshio in the East China Sea and southeast of Kyūshū and the currents east of the Ryukyu Islands, on the basis of hydrographic data obtained during September-October, 1987 by R/V Chofu Maru. The results show that:(1)A part of the Taiwan Warm Current has a tendency to converge to the shelf break; (2) the Kuroshio flows across the section C₃ (PN) with a reduced current width, and the velocity of the Kuroshio at the section C₃ increases and its maximum current speed is about 158 cm/s, and its volume transport here is about 26×10⁶m³/s; (3) the Kuroshio has two current cores at the sections C₃ (PN) and B₂ (at the Tokara Strait); (4) the currents east of the Ryukyu Islands are found to flow northward over the Ryukyu Trench during September-October, 1987. The velocities of the currents are not strong throughout the depths. At the section C₂ east of the Ryukyu Islands, the maximum current speed is at the 699 m levei and its magnitude is 25 cm/s, and its volume transport is about 21×10⁶m³/s; (5) the volume transports of the Kuroshio through the sections B₂ (at the Tokara Strait) and C₆ (southeast of Kyushu) are 23.33, 67.31×10⁶m³/s, respectively; (6) there are two meso-scale anticyclonic warm eddies between 135°E and the area east of the Ryukyu Islands, and their characters and hydrographic structure are discussed.