케라마갭 통과류의 변동성 관측

Abstract

The Kerama Gp, near the middle of the Ryukyu Island chain, is a ∼ 1,000 m deep channel connecting the East China Sea (ECS) to the Northwestern Pacific. We measured the flow through the Kerama Gap from June 2009 to June 2011. The 2-year mean transport, 2.0 ± 0.7 Sv, is into the ECS fromthe Northwestern Pacific it contributes about 11% of the mean Kuroshio transport in the ECS at the PN line. Standard deviation of subtidal transport through the Kerama Gap is 3.2 Sv, comparable to the standard deviation of the PN-line Kuroshio transport (4.0 Sv), which suggests a significant effect of Kerama Gap transport on temporal variability of the Kuroshio transport in theECS. Comparison with time series of satellite-measured sea surface height maps reveals that temporal variability of the Kerama Gap transport is related to the arrival of mesoscale eddies from the east: high (low) transport into the ECS is associated with the presence of a cyclonic (anticyclonic) eddy south of the Kerama Gap.n transport, 2.0 ± 0.7 Sv, is into the ECS fromthe Northwestern Pacific it contributes about 11% of the mean Kuroshio transport in the ECS at the PN line. Standard deviation of subtidal transport through the Kerama Gap is 3.2 Sv, comparable to the standard deviation of the PN-line Kuroshio transport (4.0 Sv), which suggests a significant effect of Kerama Gap transport on temporal variability of the Kuroshio transport in theECS. Comparison with time series of satellite-measured sea surface height maps reveals that temporal variability of the Kerama Gap transport is related to the arrival of mesoscale eddies from the east: high (low) transport into the ECS is associated with the presence of a cyclonic (anticyclonic) eddy south of the Kerama Gap.