Climatology and seasonal variability of the Mindanao Undercurrent based on OFES data

The simulation of an ocean general circulation model for the earth simulator （OFES） is transformed to an isopycnal coordinate to investigate the spatial structure and seasonal variability of the Mindanao Under- current （MUC）. The results show that （1） potential density surfaces, δ0=26.5 and δ0=27.5, can be chosen to encompass the M UC layer. Southern Pacilic tropical water （SPTW）, Antarctic Intermediate Water （AAIW） and high potential density water （HPDW） constitute the MUC. （2） Climatologically, the MOC exists in the form of dual-core. In some months, the dual-core structure changes to a single-core structure. （3） Choosing section at 8°N for calculating the transport of the MUC transport is reliable. Potential density constraint provides a good method for calculating the transport of the MOC. （4） The annual mean transport of the MUC is 8.34 × 106 m3/s and varies considerably with seasons： stronger in late spring and weaker in winter.

DYNAMIC AND THERMOHALINE PROPERTIES OF THE MINDANAO UNDERCURRENT Ⅰ. DYNAMIC STRUCTURE

Hydrographic data from eleven 1986-1991 cruises at zonal sections near 8°N from the Philippine coast to 130°E were used to examine the dynamic structure of the western boundary currents there in the present study focusing on the Mindanao Undercurrent (MUC).The MUC with maximum velocity >10 cm/ was found to be a feature of both the individual cruises and multiyear mean velocity field as a countercurrent below the Mindanao Current (MC). Usually, the MUC occupies depths below 200 dbar and consists of more than one core.Its vertical and horizontal scales are 500 - 1000 m and 100-250 km, respectively , and vary greatly and irregularly . The spatial distribution of the MUC agreed with that of the westward deepening isopycnals in and below the thermocline . In the individual cruises , the volume transports of the MUC relative to 1500 dbar varied from 6.2 to 28.4×106m3 (average of 14.4× 10 6m3/s) while those relative to 3000 dbar varied from 15.4 to 43.9 ×106 m3/s (average of 25.4 ×106 m3/s ). The multiyear mean MUC transport was 5.9×106 m3/s relative to 1500 dbar and 8.7 × 106m3/s relative t0 3000 dbar . The difference between the multiyear mean MUC transport and that of individual cruises resulted from the MUC spatial variation .

DYNAMIC AND THERMOHALINE PROPERTIES OF THE MINDANAO UNDERCURRENT,PART Ⅱ: THERMOHALINE STRUCTURE

Hydrographic data from eleven 1986 - 1991 cruises at zonal sections near 8°N from the Philippine coast to 130°E were used to examine thermohaline smictim and waer mass properties of the western boundary cnrrents there, especially those of the Mindanao Underconnt (MUC). The finding that the MLC consisted of two water masses with salinity of M.6 at 26.9 σt and 34.52 at 27. 2 σt which were remnants of the lower part of the southern Pacific Subtropical Waer (SPSW) and of the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) of South Pacific origin, respectively, showed that the MUC was not a local transient but originaed elsewhere. As the MUC flowed from 7 .5°N to 8°N, part of it carrying the SPSW turns anticyclonically and eastward. The Northem Pacilic Intermediate Watr (NPIW) often joins the MUC, which suggests that the NPIW carried by the MC partly to northward as a result of the shear between the MC and the MUC or other proceesses. The shear instability provides the energy for the irregular fluctuation of the MUC.

Subthermocline anticyclonic gyre east of Mindanao and its relationship with the Mindanao Undercurrent

The quasi-permanent anticyclonic gyre （ACG） east of Mindanao is a dominant feature of the subthermocline circulation in the southem Philippine Sea, and it is believed closely associated with the continuous northward alongshore flow of the Mindanao Undercurrent （MUC）. In this study, the structure and variability of this ACG were investigated using the 1950-2012 output of the Oceanic General Circulation Model for the Earth Simulator （OFES）, which can reproduce well the structure of the climatological intermediate-layer circulation and satellite-observed sea level variations in the southern Philippine Sea. Between 26.8-27.3 ao, the ACG covers a large area from the Mindanao coast to 131 ~E and from 3~N to 10~N. Its anticyclonic flow structure is unrelated to the surface Halmahera Eddy. The eddy-resolving simulation of the OFES revealed that the ACG consists of two components. The southern ACG （SACG） is centered at -6~N, while the northern ACG （NACG） is centered at -10~N. Seasonal and interannual variations of the ACG are linked to the variations of the northward MUC transport along the Mindanao coast, and the role of the SACG is more important than the NACG. Stronger （weaker） ACGs lead to greater （smaller） MUC transport. On the interannual timescale, the SACG shows a spectrum peak at 4-8 years, while the NACG has enhanced power within the 3-5-year band. A lead-lag correlation analysis indicates that interannual variations of the ACGs and the MUC transport are partly associated with the E1 Nifio-Southern Oscillation. Possible causes for the ACG variability are discussed.

The relation between the Mindanao Current and Mindanao Undercurrent on seasonal scale

The ocean general circulation model for the earth simulator（OFES） products is applied to estimate the transports of the Mindanao Current（MC） and the Mindanao undercurrent（MUC） and explore the relation between them on seasonal scale. In general, the MUC is composed of the lower part of the Southern Pacific Tropical Water（SPTW）and Antarctic Intermediate Water（AAIW）. While the deep northward core below 1 500 m is regarded as a portion of MUC. Both salinity and potential density restrictions become more reasonable to estimate the transports of MC/MUC as the properties of water mass having been taken into consideration. The climatological annual mean transport of MC is（37.4±5.81）×10~6 m^3/s while that of MUC is（23.92±6.47）×10~6 m^3/s integrated between 26.5 σ_θ and 27.7 σ_θ, and（17.53±5.45）×10~6 m^3/s integrated between 26.5 σ_θ and 27.5 σ_θ in the OFES. The variations of MC and MUC have good positive correlation with each other on the seasonal scale： The MC is stronger in spring and weaker in fall, which corresponds well with the MUC, and the correlation coefficient of them is 0.67 in the OFES.The same variations are also appeared in hybrid coordinate ocean model（HYCOM） results. Two sensitive experiments based on HYCOM are conducted to explore the relation between MC and MUC. The MUC（26.5〈σ_θ〈27.7） is strengthening as the MC increases with the enhancement of zonal wind field. It is shown,however, that the main part of the increasement is the deeper northward high potential density water（HPDW）,while the AAIW almost remains stable, SPTW decreases, and vice versa.

棉兰老流与棉兰老潜流季节内变化研究

通过分析HYCOM(HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model)数据,得出棉兰老流(MC)位于0~800m深度,紧贴岸界,最大流速发生在次表层。棉兰老潜流(MUC)位于400m深度以下,127°E以东离岸侧,最大流速发生在1 600m深度处。MUC的流核数目在12个月的分布不尽相同,大概在1~3个,其中存在2个流核的月份最多;MUC各个流核在不同月份的核心强度有明显变化,5月份流核核心速度最大,可达10cm·s^(-1);MUC各个流核的纬向剖面面积也有明显的季节变化,2月份的剖面面积最大。从季节内变化上看,MUC与MC都存在较明显的季节内变化信号,周期在100d左右。MC的季节内变化是由海表面涡旋引起的,而MUC的季节内变化是由温跃层以下的涡旋引起的。

A quasi-synoptic interpretation of water mass distribution and circulation in the western North Pacific II:Circulation

Using the data of conductivity-temperature-depth （CTD） intensive observations conducted during Oct-Nov. 2005, this study provides the first three-dimension quasi-synoptic description of the circulation in the western North Pacific. Several novel phenomena are revealed, especially in the deep ocean where earlier observations were very sparse. During the observations, the North Equatorial Current （NEC） splits at about 12°N near the sea surface. This bifurcation shifts northward with depth, reaching about 20°N at 1 000 m, and then remains nearly unchanged to as deep as 2 000 m. The Luzon Undercurrent （LUC）, emerging below the Kuroshio from about 21°N, intensifies southward, with its upper boundary surfacing around 12°N. From there, part of the LUC separates from the coast, while the rest continues southward to join the Mindanao Current （MC）. The MC extends to 2 000 m near the coast, and appears to be closely related to the subsurface cyclonic eddies which overlap low-salinity water from the North Pacific. The Mindanao Undercurrent （MUC）, carrying waters from the South Pacific, shifts eastward upon approaching the Mindanao coast and eventually becomes part of the eastward undercurrent between 10°N and 12°N at 130°E. In the upper 2 000 dbar, the total westward transport across 130°E between 7.5°N and 18°N reaches 65.4 Sv （1 Sv = 10-6 m3s^-1）, the northward transport across 18°N from Luzon coast to 130°E is up to 35.0 Sv, and the southward transport across 7.5°N from Mindanao coast to 130°E is 27.9 Sv.