Temporal and spatial characteristics of pinch-off rings in the Kuroshio Extension region

Ding Ya'nan; Jing Chunsheng; Qiu Yun

doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-4193.2019.05.005

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Ding Ya'nan, Jing Chunsheng, Qiu Yun. Temporal and spatial characteristics of pinch-off rings in the Kuroshio Extension region[J]. Haiyang Xuebao, 2019, 41(5): 47-58. doi: 10.3969/j.issn.0253-4193.2019.05.005

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Ding Ya'nan, Jing Chunsheng, Qiu Yun. Temporal and spatial characteristics of pinch-off rings in the Kuroshio Extension region[J]. Haiyang Xuebao, 2019, 41(5): 47-58. doi: 10.3969/j.issn.0253-4193.2019.05.005

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Temporal and spatial characteristics of pinch-off rings in the Kuroshio Extension region

doi: 10.3969/j.issn.0253-4193.2019.05.005

Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China

Received Date: 2018-05-16

Abstract

Abstract

This study examined the spatial distribution characteristics, motion properties, seasonal, interannual and decadal variations of oceanic rings shed from the Kuroshio Extension (KE) jet using AVISO satellite altimeter observations from January 1993 to December 2015. The results show that 242 cyclones and 276 anticyclones are detected in the past 23 years, and pinch-off rings mostly distribute in the region west of the Shatsky Rise. According to the spatial distribution of the ring formations in the KE region, there are two high value regions of cyclonic rings. One is located at the upstream region between 144°-146°E around the steady meander of the KE jet, the other is located at 156°E west of the Shatsky Ridge. There are two high value regions of anticyclonic rings, one located at downstream region west of the Shatsky Ridge and the other located at 148°E. These pinched-off rings in both the upstream and downstream regions generally propagated westward, but about 88% of the rings are reabsorbed by the jet. The number of ring formations show substantial interannual to decadal-like variability. In the upstream and downstream KE region, decadal-like and interannual variability is dominant, respectively. In the upstream region, these fluctuations of the ring formations are negatively correlated with the strength of the KE jet. In terms of seasonal variation, the most rings formed in summer, and the least in winter.
- Kuroshio Extension,
- pinch-off ring,
- temporal and spatial characteristics,
- seasonal variability,
- interannual to decadal variability

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References(49)

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