Geostrophic Circulation in the Tropical North Pacific Ocean Based on Argo Profiles
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Authors
Yuan, Dongliang
Zhang, Zhichun
Chu, Peter C.
Dewar, William K.
Subjects
Advisors
Date of Issue
2014
Date
Publisher
American Meteorological Society (AMS)
Language
Abstract
Absolute geostrophic currents in the North Pacific Ocean are calculated from the newly gridded Argo
profiling float data using the P-vector method for the period of 2004–11. The zonal geostrophic currents based
on the Argo profile data are found to be stronger than those based on the traditional World Ocean Atlas 2009
(WOA09) data. A westward mean geostrophic flow underneath the North Equatorial Countercurrent is
identified using the Argo data, which is evidenced by sporadic direct current measurements and geostrophic
calculations in history. This current originates east of the date line and transports more than 4 3 106 m3 s
21 of
water westward in the subsurface northwestern tropical Pacific Ocean. The authors name this current the
North Equatorial Subsurface Current. The transport in the geostrophic currents is compared with the
Sverdrup theory and found to differ significantly in several locations. Analyses have shown that errors of wind
stress estimation cannot account for all of the differences. The largest differences are found in the area
immediately north and south of the bifurcation latitude of the North Equatorial Current west of the date line
and in the recirculation area of the Kuroshio and its extension, where nonlinear activities are vigorous. It is,
therefore, suggested that the linear dynamics of the Sverdrup theory is deficient in explaining the geostrophic
transport of the tropical northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-12-0230.1
Series/Report No
Department
Oceanography
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
National Basic Research Program of China
Naval Oceanographic Office
Naval Oceanographic Office
Funding
NSFC Grants 40888001
NSFC Grants 41176019
CMA Grant GYHY201306018
CAS Strategic Priority Project XDA11010301
KLOCAW Grant 1208
Municipal Science and Technology Project 2011C32015
Municipal Science and Technology Project 2012C33033
NSF Grants OCE-0960500
NSF Grants OCE-1049131
NSFC Grants 41176019
CMA Grant GYHY201306018
CAS Strategic Priority Project XDA11010301
KLOCAW Grant 1208
Municipal Science and Technology Project 2011C32015
Municipal Science and Technology Project 2012C33033
NSF Grants OCE-0960500
NSF Grants OCE-1049131
Format
18 p.
Citation
Yuan, Dongliang, et al. "Geostrophic circulation in the Tropical North Pacific Ocean based on Argo profiles." Journal of Physical Oceanography 44.2 (2014): 558-575.
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.