Circulations on isopycnals (σθ) in the western North Pacific were investigated by using P-vector method; the data were taken from the U.S. Navy’s climatological temperature and salinity dataset (public domain) with...Circulations on isopycnals (σθ) in the western North Pacific were investigated by using P-vector method; the data were taken from the U.S. Navy’s climatological temperature and salinity dataset (public domain) with 1/2°×1/2° resolution. Results not only show the main circulation systems on isopycnals in the western North Pacific such as the North Equatorial Current (NEC), Kuroshio and Ku-roshio Countercurrent, but also reveal the Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC) clearly. In this note we pay attention to discussing the distribution of STCC in summer (in June). The STCC flows eastward along a winding road; on shallow isopycnals, the STCC originates from the area east of Bashi Strait at about 122.5°E; with the isopycnals increasing, the origin and flow core of STCC move to north and east, but the main part of STCC is still between 18?and 23.5°N, i.e. near the Tropic of Cancer. There exists STCC on all isopycnals between the sea surface and 25.8σθ.The current vectors of STCC on isopycnals are展开更多
基金This work was jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40076009) Naval Postgraduate School, the Key Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (Grant Nos. KZCX2-205 and KZCX1-SW-01-16)the One Hundred Tal
文摘Circulations on isopycnals (σθ) in the western North Pacific were investigated by using P-vector method; the data were taken from the U.S. Navy’s climatological temperature and salinity dataset (public domain) with 1/2°×1/2° resolution. Results not only show the main circulation systems on isopycnals in the western North Pacific such as the North Equatorial Current (NEC), Kuroshio and Ku-roshio Countercurrent, but also reveal the Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC) clearly. In this note we pay attention to discussing the distribution of STCC in summer (in June). The STCC flows eastward along a winding road; on shallow isopycnals, the STCC originates from the area east of Bashi Strait at about 122.5°E; with the isopycnals increasing, the origin and flow core of STCC move to north and east, but the main part of STCC is still between 18?and 23.5°N, i.e. near the Tropic of Cancer. There exists STCC on all isopycnals between the sea surface and 25.8σθ.The current vectors of STCC on isopycnals are