Manifestation of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation in the Kuroshio

Authors

Magdalena Andres, University of Rhode Island
Jae-Hun Park, University of Rhode Island
Mark Wimbush, University of Rhode IslandFollow
Xiao-Hua Zhu
Hirohiko Nakamura
Kuh Kim
Kyung-Il Chang

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

2009

Department

Oceanography

Abstract

Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index is strongly correlated with vertically integrated transport carried by the Kuroshio through the East China Sea (ECS). Transport was determined from satellite altimetry calibrated with in situ data and its correlation with PDO index (0.76) is highest at zero lag. Total PDO‐correlated transport variation carried by the ECS‐Kuroshio and Ryukyu Current is about 4 Sv. In addition, PDO index is strongly negatively correlated, at zero lag, with NCEP wind‐stress‐curl over the central North Pacific at ECS latitudes. Sverdrup transport, calculated from wind‐stress‐curl anomalies, is consistent with the observed transport variations. Finally, PDO index and ECS‐Kuroshio transport are each negatively correlated with Kuroshio Position Index in the Tokara Strait; this can be explained by a model in which Kuroshio path is steered by topography when transport is low and is inertially controlled when transport is high.

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Andres, M., Park, J.‐H., Wimbush, M., Zhu, X.‐H., Nakamura, H., Kim, K., and Chang, K.‐I. ( 2009), Manifestation of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation in the Kuroshio, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L16602, doi:10.1029/2009GL039216.

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL039216