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Impact of Alaskan Stream eddies on chlorophyll distribution in the North Pacific

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The impact of the Alaskan Stream (AS) eddies on the chlorophyll a (chl-a) distribution in the central subarctic North Pacific was investigated through analysis of chl-a and altimetry data from satellite observations. Altimetry observations provided the locations of mesoscale eddies in time and space within the maps of chlorophyll distributions. The climatological chl-a distributions averaged in the area and time showing presence of AS eddies suggested that AS eddies contributed significantly to the chl-a distribution in the deep-sea region of the subarctic North Pacific. The chl-a distribution was closely related to the AS eddies regardless of whether the eddy was located in or detached from the AS. A combination of two or three AS eddies sometimes formed high chl-a concentration belts that injected chlorophyll and coastal nutrient-rich waters southward from the Aleutian Islands far into the deep-sea region of the subarctic North Pacific. These results indicate that chl-a distribution in the central subarctic North Pacific was strongly impacted by AS eddies.

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Author notes

  1. Hiromichi Ueno

    Present address: Graduate School of Fisheries Science, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, 041-8611, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan

    Hiromichi Ueno

  2. Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sidney, B.C., V8L4B2, Canada

    William R. Crawford

  3. Graduate School of Fisheries Science, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, 041-8611, Japan

    Hiroji Onishi

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  1. Hiromichi Ueno
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  2. William R. Crawford
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  3. Hiroji Onishi
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Correspondence to Hiromichi Ueno.

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Ueno, H., Crawford, W.R. & Onishi, H. Impact of Alaskan Stream eddies on chlorophyll distribution in the North Pacific. J Oceanogr 66, 319–328 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-010-0028-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-010-0028-6

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