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The numerical simulation of the Kuroshio frontal eddies in the East China Sea using a hybrid coordinate ocean mode

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Abstract

A hybrid coordinate ocean model (HYCOM) is used to simulate the Kuroshio frontal eddies in the East China Sea (ECS). The research area is located (20°–32°N, 120°–132°E). Using the simulating data, it is figured out that the Kuroshio frontal eddies occur in summer as well as in the other season in this area. The life cycle of the Kuroshio and its frontal eddies is different with the position. The life-cycle of the Kuroshio frontal eddies of the northwest Diaoyu Islands is about 14 d; and the life cycle of the Kuroshio frontal eddies of southwest Yakushima about 20 d. This result extends the in situ researching results greatly. In addition, the vertical impact depth of the Kuroshio frontal eddies is also changing with the position. On the whole, in the ECS, the maximum impact depth of the Kuroshio frontal eddies of the northwest Taiwan Islands is about 75 m; the maximum impact depth of the Kuroshio frontal eddies of the northwest Diaoyu Islands is more than 125 m, but no more than 200 m; and the maximum impact depth of the Kuroshio frontal eddies of southwest Yakushima is up to 100 m.

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Correspondence to Yongjun Jia.

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Foundation item: The State Oceanic Administration Youth Funds of China under contract No. 2012403; the Public Science and Technology Research Funds Projects of Ocean of China under contract No. 201005030; the Special Funds for Basic Scientific Research Project of the First Institute of Oceanography, the State Ocean Administration of China under contract No. 2010G12; Water Marine Remote Sensing Survey and Research of China under contract No. 908-01-ST10(II); China’s Coastal Marine Optics and Remote Sensing Research under contract No. 908-ZC-I-04.

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Jia, Y., Zhang, Y. & Lin, M. The numerical simulation of the Kuroshio frontal eddies in the East China Sea using a hybrid coordinate ocean mode. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 32, 31–41 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-013-0311-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-013-0311-7

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