Effects of Cold Eddy on Kuroshio Meander and Its Surface Properties, East of Taiwan

Abstract

Satellite remote-sensing data and glider data are used to study the Kuroshio meander and surface properties, east of Taiwan. TheKuroshio meandered eastward 13 times between 1993 and 2013 because of cold eddies propagating from the western Pacific. The maximum duration of the meanders was 80 days. The farthest eastward shift of the Kuroshio axis was approximately 270 km from its original position, depending on the size of the cold eddy. Cold eddies reduce the current speed at the Kuroshio axis to 84% of its seasonal average, which is approximately 0.75 m/s. According to glider data, isopycnal uplifting is produced when cold eddies impinge on the Kuroshio, and satellite observations show that the sea surface temperature (SST) drops 1-3 degrees C and that the chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration increases up to 0.54 mg/m(3).