Skip to main content
Log in

Volume Transport Variability Southeast of Okinawa Island Estimated from Satellite Altimeter Data

  • Published:
Journal of Oceanography Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A nine-year-long record of the northeastward volume transport (NVT) in the region southeast of Okinawa Island from 1992 to 2001 was estimated by an empirical relation between the volume transport obtained from the ocean mooring data and the sea surface height anomaly difference across the observation line during 270 days from November 2000. The NVT had large variations ranging from −10.5 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3s−1) to 30.0 Sv around its mean of 4.5 Sv with a standard deviation of 5.5 Sv. This large variation was accompanied by mesoscale eddies from the east, having a pronounced period from 106 to 160 days. After removal of the eddy, NVT was found to fluctuate from 2 Sv to 12 Sv with a quasi-biennial period.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Book, J., M. Wimbush, S. Imawaki, H. Ichikawa, H. Uchida and H. Kinoshita (2002): Kuroshio temporal and spatial variations south of Japan, determined from inverted-echo-sounder measurements. J. Geophys. Res., 107(C9), 3121, doi:10.1029/2001JC000795.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emery, W. J. and R. E. Thomson (1997): Data Analysis Methods in Physical Oceanography. 1st ed., Elsevier, New York, 634 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fu, L.-L., E. J. Christensen, C. A. Yamarone, M. Lefebvre, Y. Menard, M. Dorrer and P. Escudier (1994): TOPEX/POSEIDON mission overview. J. Geophys. Res., 99(C12), 24369–24381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanawa, K. and H. Mitsudera (1985): On the data processing of daily mean values of oceanographically data—Note on daily mean sea-level data—. Bull. Coast. Oceanogr., 23, 79–87 (in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Huesmann, A. S. and M. H. Hitchman (2001): The stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation in the NECP reanalyses: Climatological structures. J. Geophys. Res., 106(D11), 11859–11874.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ichikawa, H. and R. C. Beardsley (1993): Temporal and spatial variability of volume transport of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea. Deep-Sea Res., 40, 583–605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ichikawa, H., H. Nakamura, A. Nishina and M. Higashi (2004): Variability of northeastward current southeast of northern Ryukyu Islands. J. Oceanogr., 60, 351–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ichikawa, K. (2001): Variation of the Kuroshio in the Tokara Strait induced by meso-scale eddies. J. Oceanogr., 57, 55–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Imawaki, S., H. Uchida, H. Ichikawa, M. Fukazawa, S. Umatani and the ASUKA Group (2001): Satellite altimeter monitoring the Kuroshio transport south of Japan. Geophys. Res. Lett., 28(1), 7–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johns, W. E., T. N. Lee, D. Zhang and R. Zantopp (2001): The Kuroshio East of Taiwan: Moored transport observations from the WOCE PCM-1 Array. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 31, 1031–1053.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, T. N., W. E. Johns, C. T. Liu, D. Zhang, R. Zantopp and Y. Yang (2001): Mean transport and seasonal cycle of the Kuroshio east of Taiwan with comparison to the Florida Current. J. Geophys. Res., 106, 22143–22158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Y. G. and Y. C. Yuan (2000): Variation of the currents east of Ryukyu Islands in 1998. La mer, 38, 179–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Y. G., Y. C. Yuan, T. Shiga, H. Yamamoto, S. Tsubaki and M. Imai (2000): Circulation southeast of the Ryukyu Islands. p. 23–37. In Proceedings of China and Japan Joint Symposium on Cooperative Study of Subtropical Circulation System, China Ocean Press, Beijing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakano, T., T. Kuragano and Y. Liu (1998): Variations of oceanic conditions east of the Ryukyu Islands. p. 129–140. In Proceedings of Japan and China Joint Symposium on Cooperative Study of Subtropical Circulation System, 1–4 December 1997, Nagasaki, Japan, Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Nagasaki.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiga, T., D. Ueno, Y. Takatsuki and Y. Liu (2000): Variations of oceanic conditions east of the Ryukyu Islands in 1997. p. 57–65. In Proceedings of Japan and China Joint Symposium on Cooperative Study of Subtropical Circulation System, China Ocean Press, Beijing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uchida, H., S. Imawaki and J.-H. Hu (1998): Comparison of Kuroshio Surface velocity derived from satellite altimeter and drifting buoy data. J. Oceanogr., 54, 115–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watts, D. R., C. Sun and S. Rintoul (2001): Two-dimensional gravest empirical modes determined from hydrographic observations in the Subantarctic Front. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 31, 2186–2209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Worthington, V. L. and H. Kawai (1972): Comparison between deep sections across the Kuroshio and the Florida Current and Gulf Stream. p. 371–385. In Kuroshio, Its Physical Aspects, ed. by H. Stommel and K. Yoshida, Washington Univ. Press.

  • Yang, Y., C.-T. Liu, J-H. Hu and M. Koga (1999): Taiwan Current (Kuroshio) and impinging eddies. J. Oceanogr., 55, 609–617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuan, Y., K. Takano, Z. Pan, J. Su, K. Kawatate, S. Imawaki, H. Yu, H. Chen, H. Ichikawa and S. Umatani (1994): The Kuroshio east in the East China Sea and the currents east of Ryukyu Islands during autumn 1991. La mer, 32, 235–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, X. H., I.-S. Han, J.-H. Park, H. Ichikawa, A. Kaneko, A. Ostrovskii, N. Gohda and S. Umatani (2002): Observation of current and eddy activity east of Okinawa Island. In Proc. 6th Pacific Ocean Remote Sensing Conference, 2002, Vol. I, 11–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, X. H., I.-S. Han, J.-H. Park, H. Ichikawa, K. Murakami, A. Kaneko and A. Ostrovskii (2003): The northeastward current southeast of Okinawa Island observed during November 2000 to August 2001. Geophys. Res. Lett., 30(2), 1071, doi:10.1029/2002GL015867.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiao-Hua Zhu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhu, XH., Ichikawa, H., Ichikawa, K. et al. Volume Transport Variability Southeast of Okinawa Island Estimated from Satellite Altimeter Data. J Oceanogr 60, 953–962 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-005-0004-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-005-0004-8

Keywords

Navigation