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A spectral mixture model analysis of the Kuroshio variability and the water exchange between the Kuroshio and the East China Sea

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Abstract

For understanding more about the water exchange between the Kuroshio and the East China Sea, We studied the variability of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea (ECS) in the period of 1991 to 2008 using a three-dimensional circulation model, and calculated Kuroshio onshore volume transport in the ECS at the minimum of 0.48 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3/s) in summer and the maximum of 1.69 Sv in winter. Based on the data of WOA05 and NCEP, The modeled result indicates that the Kuroshio transport east of Taiwan Island decreased since 2000. Lateral movements tended to be stronger at two ends of the Kuroshio in the ECS than that of the middle segment. In addition, we applied a spectral mixture model (SMM) to determine the exchange zone between the Kuroshio and the shelf water of the ECS. The result reveals a significantly negative correlation (coefficient of −0.78) between the area of exchange zone and the Kuroshio onshore transport at 200 m isobath in the ECS. This conclusion brings a new view for the water exchange between the Kuroshio and the East China Sea. Additional to annual and semi-annual signals, intra-seasonal signal of probably the Pacific origin may trigger the events of Kuroshio intrusion and exchange in the ECS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physical Oceanography Laboratory, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China

    Jim Song  (宋军), Xianwen Bao  (鲍献文), Dexing Wu  (吴德星), Zhigang Yao  (姚志刚), Feng Nan  (南峰) & Kai Wan  (万凯)

  2. School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, USA

    Jim Song  (宋军), Huijie Xue  (薛惠洁), Fei Chai  (柴扉) & Lei Shi  (施磊)

  3. National Marine Data and Information Service, Tianjin, 300171, China

    Jim Song  (宋军)

  4. The First Institute of Oceanography, SOA, Qingdao, 266061, China

    Yongzhi Wang  (王勇智)

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  1. Jim Song  (宋军)
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Correspondence to Xianwen Bao  (鲍献文) or Dexing Wu  (吴德星).

Additional information

Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Nos. 2005CB422300, 2007CB411804, 2010CB428904), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 40976001, 40940025, 41006002), Tianjin Municipal Science and Technology Commission Project (No. 09JCYBJC07400), the “111 Project“ (No. B07036), and the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (No. NECT-07-0781)

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Song, J., Xue, H., Bao, X. et al. A spectral mixture model analysis of the Kuroshio variability and the water exchange between the Kuroshio and the East China Sea. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 29, 446–459 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-011-0114-7

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