Hydrographic Characteristics and Oceanic Heat Flux in the Upper Arctic Ocean over the Alpha Ridge Observed by the DTOP Platform in 2018 and 2021

In 2018 and 2021,the Drift-Towing Ocean Profilers(DTOP)provided extensive temperature and salinity data on the upper 120m ocean through their drifts over the Alpha Ridge north of the Canada Basin.The thickness and temperature maximum of Alaska Coastal Water(ACW)ranged from 20m to 40m and-1.5℃to-0.8℃,respectively,and the salinity generally maintained from 30.2 to 32.5.Comparison with World Ocean Atlas 2018’s climatology manifested a 40m-thick and warm ACW roughly ex-ceeding the temperature maximum by 0.4–0.5℃in June–August 2021.This anomalously warm ACW was highly related to the ex-pansion of the Beaufort Gyre in the negative Arctic Oscillation phase.During summer,the under-ice oceanic heat flux F_(w)^(OHF)was elevated,with a maximum value of above 25Wm^(-2).F_(w)^(OHF)was typically low in the freezing season,with an average value of 1.2Wm^(-2).The estimates of upward heat flux contributed by ACW to the sea ice bottom F_(w)^(OHF)were in the range of 3–4Wm^(-2)in June–August 2021,when ACW contained a heat content of more than 80MJm^(-2).The heat loss over this period was driven by a weak stratification upon the ACW layer associated with a surface mixed layer(SML)approaching the ACW core.After autumn,F_(w)^(OHF)was reduced(<2 Wm^(-2))except during rare events when it elevated F_(w)^(OHF)slightly.In addition,the intensive and widespread Ekman suction,which created a violent upwelling north of the Canada Basin,was largely responsible for the substantial cooling and thinning of the ACW layer in the summer of 2021.

Deep Learning Shows Promise for Seasonal Prediction of Antarctic Sea Ice in a Rapid Decline Scenario

The rapidly changing Antarctic sea ice has garnered significant interest. To enhance the prediction skill for sea ice and respond to the Sea Ice Prediction Network-South's latest call, this study presents the reforecast results of Antarctic sea-ice area and extent from December to June of the coming year with a Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory(Conv LSTM)Network. The reforecast experiments demonstrate that Conv LSTM captures the interannual and interseasonal variability of Antarctic sea ice successfully, and performs better than the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Based on this, we present the prediction from December 2023 to June 2024, indicating that the Antarctic sea ice will remain at lows, but may not create a new record low. This research highlights the promising application of deep learning in Antarctic sea-ice prediction.

Evolution Mechanism of a Severe Squall Line Triggered by the Coupling of a Sea Breeze Front and a Gust Front

In the present study, a severe squall line(SL) was analyzed by using intensive observational surface data and radar monitoring products. In this process, mesoscale convergence lines, such as the sea breeze front(SBF), gust front and dry line, served as the main triggering and strengthening factors. The transition from convection triggering to the formation of the initial shape was mainly affected by the convergence line of the SBF, which combined with thermal convection to form the main parts of the SL. In the later stage, the convergence line of the gust front merged with other convergence lines to form a series of strong convective cells. The SBF had good indicative significance in terms of severe convective weather warnings. The suitable conditions of heat, water vapor and vertical wind shear on the Shandong Peninsula were beneficial to the maintenance of the SL. Before SL occurrence, tropopause folding strengthened, which consequently enhanced the baroclinic property in the middle and upper troposphere. The high sensible heat flux at the surface easily produced a positive potential vorticity anomaly in the low layer, resulting in convective instability, which was conducive to the maintenance of these processes. In the system, when precipitation particles passed through the unsaturated air layer, they underwent strong evaporation, melting or sublimation, and the cooling effect formed negative buoyancy, which accelerated the sinking of the air and promoted the sustained development of the surface gale. Together with the development of lowlevel mesocyclones, the air pressure decreased rapidly, which was conducive to gale initiation.

Contributions of shortwave radiation to the formation of temperature inversions in the Bay of Bengal and eastern equatorial Indian Ocean:A modeling approach

Variations in incoming shortwave radiation influence the net surface heat flux,contributing to the formation of a temperature inversion.The effects of shortwave radiation on the temperature inversions in the Bay of Bengal and eastern equatorial Indian Ocean have never been investigated.Thus,a high-resolution(horizontal resolution of 0.07°×0.07° with 50 vertical layers) Regional Ocean Modeling System(ROMS) model is utilized to quantify the contributions of shortwave radiation to the temperature inversions in the study domain.Analyses of the mixed layer heat and salt budgets are performed,and different model simulations are compared.The model results suggest that a 30% change in shortwave radiation can change approximately 3% of the temperature inversion area in the Bay of Bengal.Low shortwave radiation reduces the net surface heat flux and cools the mixed layer substantially;it also reduces the evaporation rate,causing less evaporative water vapor losses from the ocean than the typical situation,and ultimately enhances haline stratification.Thus,the rudimentary outcome of this research is that a decrease in shortwave radiation produces more temperature inversion in the study region,which is primarily driven by the net surface cooling and supported by the intensive haline stratification.Moreover,low shortwave radiation eventually intensifies the temperature inversion layer by thickening the barrier layer.This study could be an important reference for predicting how the Indian Ocean climate will respond to future changes in shortwave radiation.

Extreme Cold Events in North America and Eurasia in November-December 2022: A Potential Vorticity Gradient Perspective

From 17 November to 27 December 2022, extremely cold snowstorms frequently swept across North America and Eurasia. Diagnostic analysis reveals that these extreme cold events were closely related to the establishment of blocking circulations. Alaska Blocking(AB) and subsequent Ural Blocking(UB) episodes are linked to the phase transition of the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) and represent the main atmospheric regimes in the Northern Hemisphere. The downstream dispersion and propagation of Rossby wave packets from Alaska to East Asia provide a large-scale connection between AB and UB episodes. Based on the nonlinear multi-scale interaction(NMI) model, we found that the meridional potential vorticity gradient(PVy) in November and December of 2022 was anomalously weak in the mid-high latitudes from North America to Eurasia and provided a favorable background for the prolonged maintenance of UB and AB events and the generation of associated severe extreme snowstorms. However, the difference in the UB in terms of its persistence,location, and strength between November and December is related to the positive(negative) NAO in November(December). During the La Ni?a winter of 2022, the UB and AB events are related to the downward propagation of stratospheric anomalies, in addition to contributions by La Ni?a and low Arctic sea ice concentrations as they pertain to reducing PVyin mid-latitudes.

The Role of Ocean Dynamics in the Cross-equatorial Energy Transport under a Thermal Forcing in the Southern Ocean

Under external heating forcing in the Southern Ocean,climate models project anomalous northward atmosphere heat transport(AHT)across the equator,accompanied by a southward shift of the intertropical convergence zone(ITCZ).Comparison between a fully coupled and a slab ocean model shows that the inclusion of active ocean dynamics tends to partition the cross-equatorial energy transport and significantly reduce the ITCZ shift response by a factor of 10,a finding which supports previous studies.To understand how ocean dynamics damps the ITCZ’s response to an imposed thermal heating in the Southern Ocean,we examine the ocean heat transport(OHT)and ocean circulation responses in a set of fully coupled experiments.Results show that both the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic contribute to transport energy across the equator mainly through its Eulerian-mean component.However,different from previous studies that linked the changes in OHT to the changes in the wind-driven subtropical cells or the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation(AMOC),our results show that the cross-equatorial OHT anomaly is due to a broad clockwise overturning circulation anomaly below the subtropical cells(approximately bounded by the 5°C to 20°C isotherms and 50°S to 10°N).Further elimination of the wind-driven component,conducted by prescribing the climatological wind stress in the Southern Ocean heat perturbation experiments,leads to little change in OHT,suggesting that the OHT response is predominantly thermohaline-driven by air-sea thermal interactions.

Evaluation of the performance of CMIP5 and CMIP6 models in simulating the South Pacific Quadrupole-ENSO relationship

先前的观测研究表明,南太平洋四极子海温模态(SPQ)可以有效地作为ENSO的前兆信号.本文利用20个CMIP6模式及其对应的20个先前的CMIP5模式的工业化前气候模拟试验数据,评估和比较了CMIP6以及CMIP5模式对SPQ与ENSO的关系的模拟能力.结果表明,大多数CMIP5和CMIP6模式可以合理地模拟SPQ的基本特征.与早期的CMIP5模式相比,CMIP6模式能够更加真实地模拟SPQ与ENSO之间的关系.进一步分析表明,CMIP6模式模拟SPQ与ENSO关系的能力提高,是因为CMIP6模式能够更好地模拟出在副热带/热带太平洋上与SPQ相关的表面海气热力耦合过程,以及在赤道太平洋上与SPQ相关的次表层海温的异常相应.

Growth and Distribution of Amphioctopus fangsiao(d'Orbigny, 1839–1841) in Haizhou Bay, Yellow Sea

Octopus fisheries have prospered in many areas of the world ocean over the last six decades. Despite degradation and overexploitation of Chinese coastal ecosystems, octopus has become a stable Chinese domestic fishery species. Among the octopus species in the Bohai and Yellow, East and South China Seas, Amphioctopus fangsiao(d'Orbigny [in Férussac & d'Orbigny], 1839–1841) plays an increasingly important role both economically and ecologically. However, no systematic research has been conducted on its biology and population dynamics in the China Seas. In this study, we characterized the growth and distribution of A. fangsiao in Haizhou Bay, Yellow Sea based on four years of trawl survey data. As the results, A. fangsiao is characterized by allometric growth and an overall sex ratio of 0.97 with a slight male bias. Small octopus can be observed through a whole year, suggesting that A. fangsiao may have an extended or continuous spawning season. A. fangsiao may migrate short distances along with seasonal changes and coastal currents, considering they overwinter in the offshore water and spawn in the inshore water. In addition to fishing pressure, annual variations in the population structure and biomass appeared to be influenced by ambient water temperature. These results provide basic biological information for a better understanding of the population dynamics and the ecological importance of A. fangsiao.

Intermodel Diversity of Simulated Long-term Changes in the Austral Winter Southern Annular Mode:Role of the Southern Ocean Dipole

The Southern Annular Mode(SAM)plays an important role in regulating Southern Hemisphere extratropical circulation.State-of-the-art models exhibit intermodel spread in simulating long-term changes in the SAM.Results from Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project(AMIP)experiments from 28 models archived in CMIP5 show that the intermodel spread in the linear trend in the austral winter(June−July−August)SAM is significant,with an intermodel standard deviation of 0.28(10 yr)−1,larger than the multimodel ensemble mean of 0.18(10 yr)−1.This study explores potential factors underlying the model difference from the aspect of extratropical sea surface temperature(SST).Extratropical SST anomalies related to the SAM exhibit a dipole-like structure between middle and high latitudes,referred to as the Southern Ocean Dipole(SOD).The role of SOD-like SST anomalies in influencing the SAM is found in the AMIP simulations.Model performance in simulating the SAM trend is linked with model skill in reflecting the SOD−SAM relationship.Models with stronger linkage between the SOD and the SAM tend to simulate a stronger SAM trend.The explained variance is about 40%in the AMIP runs.These results suggest improved simulation of the SOD−SAM relationship may help reproduce long-term changes in the SAM.

Characteristics of water masses and bio-optical properties of the Bering Sea shelf during 2007–2009

The hydrographic and bio-optical properties of the Bering Sea shelf were analyzed based on in-situ measurements obtained during four cruises from 2007 to 2009.According to the temperature and salinity of the seawater,the spring water masses on the Bering Sea shelf were classified as the Alaskan Coast Water,Bering Sea Shelf Water,Anadyr Water,Spring Mixed Layer Water,Remnant Winter Water,and Winter Water,each of which had varying chlorophyll a concentrations.Among them,the highest chlorophyll a concentration occurred in the nutrient-rich Anadyr Water((7.57±6.16)mg/m^(3) in spring).The spectrum-dependent diffuse attenuation coefficient(Kd(λ))of the water column for downwelling irradiance was also calculated,exhibiting a decrease at 412-555 nm and then an increase within the range of 0.17-0.48 m-1in spring.Furthermore,a strong correlation between the chlorophyll a concentration and the attenuation coefficient was found at visible wavelengths on the Bering Sea shelf.Spatially,the chlorophyll a concentration was higher on the northern shelf((5.18±3.78)mg/m^(3))than on the southern shelf((3.64±2.51)mg/m^(3)),which was consistent with the distribution of the attenuation coefficient.Seasonally,the consumption of nutrients by blooms resulted in minimum chlorophyll a concentration((0.78±0.51)mg/m^(3))and attenuation coefficient values in summer.In terms of the vertical structure,both the attenuation coefficient and the chlorophyll a concentration tended to reach maximum values at the same depth,and the depth of the maximum values increased as the surface temperature increased in summer.Moreover,an empirical model was fitted with a power function based on the correlation between the chlorophyll a concentration and the attenuation coefficient at 412-555 nm.In addition,a spectral model was constructed according to the relationship between the attenuation coefficients at 490 nm and at other wavelengths,which provides a method for estimating the bio-optical properties of the Bering Sea shelf.

Application of Backward Nonlinear Local Lyapunov Exponent Method to Assessing the Relative Impacts of Initial Condition and Model Errors on Local Backward Predictability

Initial condition and model errors both contribute to the loss of atmospheric predictability.However,it remains debatable which type of error has the larger impact on the prediction lead time of specific states.In this study,we perform a theoretical study to investigate the relative effects of initial condition and model errors on local prediction lead time of given states in the Lorenz model.Using the backward nonlinear local Lyapunov exponent method,the prediction lead time,also called local backward predictability limit(LBPL),of given states induced by the two types of errors can be quantitatively estimated.Results show that the structure of the Lorenz attractor leads to a layered distribution of LBPLs of states.On an individual circular orbit,the LBPLs are roughly the same,whereas they are different on different orbits.The spatial distributions of LBPLs show that the relative effects of initial condition and model errors on local backward predictability depend on the locations of given states on the dynamical trajectory and the error magnitudes.When the error magnitude is fixed,the differences between the LBPLs vary with the locations of given states.The larger differences are mainly located on the inner trajectories of regimes.When the error magnitudes are different,the dissimilarities in LBPLs are diverse for the same given state.

Super Typhoon Hinnamnor(2022)with a Record-Breaking Lifespan over the Western North Pacific

Super Typhoon Hinnamnor(2022)was a rare and unique western North Pacific typhoon,and throughout its lifespan,it exhibited all of the major features that pose current challenges in typhoon research.Specifically,during different stages of its lifespan,it experienced a sudden change of track,underwent rapid intensification,interacted and merged with another vortex,expanded in size,underwent rapid weakening,produced a strong cold wake,exhibited eyewall replacement,and underwent extratropical transition.Therefore,a timely identification and review of these features of Hinnamnor(2022),as reported in this article,will help update and enrich the case sets for each of these scientific issues and provide a background for more in-depth mechanistic studies of typhoon track,intensity,and structural changes in the future.We also believe that Hinnamnor(2022)can serve as an excellent benchmark to quickly evaluate the overall performance of different numerical models in predicting typhoon’s track,intensity,and structural changes.

Early life history traits of chub mackerel Scomber japonicus in the Oyashio water revealed by otolith microstructure

Information on survival and growth during the early life stage is essential to understand the mechanism of interannual variations in fish recruitment.Chub mackerel Scomber japonicus is a commercially important pelagic fish widely distributed in the northwestern Pacific.Its catch showed large fluctuations with changes in distribution and migration under climate change and strong fishing.We determined the hatch dates and growth rates of young-of-the-year of chub mackerel through otolith microstructure using samples collected in the Oyashio water in autumn 2018.Results show that the ages of young chub mackerel ranged between 120 and 180 d,and the estimated hatch date lasted from midJanuary to late May with a peak from mid-March to mid-April.Average otolith daily increment width during the early life stages(from hatching to 25 d)showed an increasing trend.Chub mackerel grows slowly in the first 10 d,and then grows faster during the 10thto 25thd.Three groups with dissimilar growth histories and migration routes were identified using unsupervised random forest clustering analysis,but all eventually converge on the same nursery ground.The faster growth of young-of-the-year chub mackerel leads to better recruitment due to the hypothesis of growth-dependent mortality.Most chub mackerels hatched in March and April,the spawning period is longer and earlier,which could lead to strong year classes.These findings on population composition and life history traits of young-of-the-year of chub mackerel provide valuable information on its recruitment processes during the period of stock recovery.

Impact of Perturbation Schemes on the Ensemble Prediction in a Coupled Lorenz Model

Based on a simple coupled Lorenz model,we investigate how to assess a suitable initial perturbation scheme for ensemble forecasting in a multiscale system involving slow dynamics and fast dynamics.Four initial perturbation approaches are used in the ensemble forecasting experiments:the random perturbation(RP),the bred vector(BV),the ensemble transform Kalman filter(ETKF),and the nonlinear local Lyapunov vector(NLLV)methods.Results show that,regardless of the method used,the ensemble averages behave indistinguishably from the control forecasts during the first few time steps.Due to different error growth in different time-scale systems,the ensemble averages perform better than the control forecast after very short lead times in a fast subsystem but after a relatively long period of time in a slow subsystem.Due to the coupled dynamic processes,the addition of perturbations to fast variables or to slow variables can contribute to an improvement in the forecasting skill for fast variables and slow variables.Regarding the initial perturbation approaches,the NLLVs show higher forecasting skill than the BVs or RPs overall.The NLLVs and ETKFs had nearly equivalent prediction skill,but NLLVs performed best by a narrow margin.In particular,when adding perturbations to slow variables,the independent perturbations(NLLVs and ETKFs)perform much better in ensemble prediction.These results are simply implied in a real coupled air–sea model.For the prediction of oceanic variables,using independent perturbations(NLLVs)and adding perturbations to oceanic variables are expected to result in better performance in the ensemble prediction.

Source apportionment of PM_(2.5)using PMF combined online bulk and single-particle measurements:Contribution of fireworks and biomass burning

Fireworks(FW)could significantly worsen air quality in short term during celebrations.Due to similar tracers with biomass burning(BB),the fast and precise qualification of FW and BB is still challenging.In this study,online bulk and single-particle measurements were combined to investigate the contributions of FW and BB to the overall mass concentrations of PM_(2.5)and specific chemical species by positive matrix factorization(PMF)during the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong in February 2013.With combined information,fresh/aged FW(abundant ^(140)K_(2)NO_(3)^(+)and ^(213)K_(3)SO_(4)^(+)formed from ^(113)K_(2)Cl^(+)discharged by fresh FW)can be extracted from the fresh/aged BB sources,in addition to the Second Aerosol,Vehicles+Road Dust,and Sea Salt factors.The contributions of FW and BB were investigated during three high particle matter episodes influenced by the pollution transported from the Pearl River Delta region.The fresh BB/FW contributed 39.2%and 19.6%to PM_(2.5)during the Lunar Chinese New Year case.However,the contributions of aged FW/BB enhanced in the last two episodes due to the aging process,evidenced by high contributions from secondary aerosols.Generally,the fresh BB/FW showed more significant contributions to nitrate(35.1%and15.0%,respectively)compared with sulfate(25.1%and 5.9%,respectively)and OC(14.8%and11.1%,respectively)on average.In comparison,the aged FW contributed more to sulfate(13.4%).Overall,combining online bulk and single-particle measurement data can combine both instruments’advantages and provide a new perspective for applying source apportionment of aerosols using PMF.

Water temperature induced interannual variation in spawning of Japanese Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius in the northern Yellow Sea

Japanese Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius is a pelagic,neritic species that occurs in the Yellow Sea in high commercial value.The spawning period of this fast-growing species is controlled by water temperature.Based on microstructural analysis of otoliths from 145 young-of-the-year(YoY)S.niphonius collected by trawl in 2017,2018,and 2020,and the temporal variation in the spawning period in the northern Yellow Sea,and its relationship to water temperature were examined.We found that the spawning lasted from late April to late June but differed in year:in 2017 it occurred from April 23 to June 1 and peaked in early May,in 2018 it extended later from May 7 to June 29,and in 2020 from May 6 to June 22 and peaked later from late May to mid-June.The highest temperature in 2017 corresponds with the earliest end of the spawning period and a lower growing degree-day(GDD,℃·day)of 383℃·day.In 2018,slower warming corresponds with a longer spawning period,and a GDD spawning period of 506℃·day.Rapid warming in late 2020 corresponds with a spawning peak,and a GDD spawning temperature of 448℃·day.Despite differences in spawning period,the water temperature when spawning commenced was 10-12℃.Therefore,water temperature is the major determinant of the spawning period,affecting both the starting and the ending of spawning.This study improved our understanding of the spawning dynamics and environmental adaptation of S.niphonius,and how these might change in environments subject to increased warming.

Microbial Sulfate Reduction and Its Role in Carbon Sequestration in Marine Sediments

0 INTRODUCTION The carbon buried in marine sediments in the form of organic carbon or carbonate minerals represents the largest pathway for carbon removal from Earth's surface environments(Sun and Turchyn,2014).Microbial sulfate reduction(MSR)is a fundamental biogeochemical process occurring in marine sediments,where sulfate-reducing bacteria(SRB)reduce sulfate(SO42-)to sulfide(S2-)using organic matter or methane as electron donors(Jorgensen,2021).

Controls on the Northward Movement of the ITCZ over the South China Sea in Autumn:A Heavy Rain Case Study

The autumn Intertropical Convergence Zone(ITCZ)over the South China Sea(SCS)is typically held south of 10°N by prevailing northeasterly and weakening southwesterly winds.However,the ITCZ can move north,resulting in heavy rainfall in the northern SCS(NSCS).We investigate the mechanisms that drove the northward movement of the ITCZ and led to heavy non-tropical-cyclone rainfall over the NSCS in autumn of 2010.The results show that the rapid northward movement of the ITCZ on 1 and 2 October was caused by the joint influence of the equatorial easterlies(EE),southwesterly winds,and the easterly jet(EJ)in the NSCS.A high pressure center on the east side of Australia,strengthened by the quasi-biweekly oscillation and strong Walker circulation,was responsible for the EE to intensify and reach the SCS.The EE finally turned southeast and together with enhanced southwesterly winds associated with an anticyclone,pushed the ITCZ north.Meanwhile,the continental high moved east,which reduced the area of the EJ in the NSCS and made room for the ITCZ.Further regression analysis showed that the reduced area of the EJ and increased strength of the EE contributed significantly to the northward movement of the ITCZ.The enhancement of the EE preceded the northward movement of the ITCZ by six hours and pushed the ITCZ continually north.As the ITCZ approached 12°N,it not only transported warm moist air but also strengthened the dynamic field by transporting the positive vorticity horizontally and vertically which further contributed to the heavy rainfall.

Inter-Annual Variabilities of the Body Weights of Two Cephalopod Species in the Yellow Sea Under Different Environmental Conditions

As fish stocks have been overexploited and catches have decreased over the last few years,the cephalopod catch has increased globally to the point that they are now among the most important marine resources in the world.Climate change and hu-man activities greatly affect the growth and abundance of cephalopods.Understanding how the individual growth of key species varies and how they respond to environmental changes is essential for an effective fishery management.Loliolus beka and Amphioc-topus fangsiao are two dominant species in the cephalopod community of Yellow Sea(YS).Both of them are commercially impor-tant and have great ecological values.Herein,we compared the body weights(BW)of these two species from 2011 to 2018 based on an analysis of biological parameters(i.e.,mantle length and BW)from trawl surveys in the YS.Considerable temporal variations in the BW of the two species are apparent.Specifically,the BW of L.beka was the lowest in 2011 and the highest in 2017,and the well growth was noted in 2015-2018.The BW of A.fangsiao was the lowest in 2013 and the highest in 2016,while well growth was ob-served in 2015-2016.Mixed-effect models indicate that the BW of these species correlates significantly with the sea surface tem-perature(SST)and Southern Oscillation Index(SOI),suggesting the impact of the regional environment associated with strong ENSO events on BW.In a different response window,growth increases with increased SST and decreases with increased SOI.The consistent patterns of the BW of these cephalopods in response to environmental factors demonstrate they can be employed as indi-cator species for studying environmental change in the YS.Our results improve the understanding of the responses of cephalopods to environmental changes in the YS,as well as the mechanisms that drive their growth.Such information is critical for the effective management and sustainable development of cephalopod fisheries in this region.

Otolith Microstructure Analysis Reveals Different Growth Histories of Japanese Sardine (Sardinops melanostictus) in the Oyashio Waters

After decades of low year classes,the stock of Japanese sardine(Sardinops melanostictus)has begun to recover since the mid-2000s.The hatch dates and otolith growth rates of age-0 juvenile sardine,which were collected in the subarctic Oyashio waters in autumn 2018,were determined from an otolith microstructure analysis.The sardines were hatched from late January to late April,while mostly in February and March.The otolith growth rate increased continuously up to 60 d after hatching and thereafter de-creased.The revealed growth rate in a crucial growth period is faster than that reported for juvenile sardines collected in the 1990s,which is coincided with the recent recovery trend of the sardine stock.Two groups with different hatch dates,growth histories,and migration routes were identified using unsupervised random forest clustering analysis.They were considered inshore and offshore migration individuals in accordance with recent researches.In the offshore group,a high proportion of sardine juveniles hatched late and grew faster in the Kuroshio-Oyashio transitional waters,a finding consistent with the hypothesis of growth-rate-dependent re-cruitment.This finding on the population composition and growth rate of juvenile sardine in the Oyashio waters can be a basis for an improved prediction of their survival and provides us with valuable information on the recruitment processes of this stock during the period of stock recovery.