Program

Abstract

High spatial resolution sea surface temperature (SST) data from 1993 to 2014 are used to detect the Kuroshio Extension sea surface temperature Front (KEF) from 141oE to 158oE, and the seasonal, monthly and interannual variations of the KEF strength are investigated. The results show that the magnitudes of KEF strength variations increase with the KEF getting stronger. The KEF strength has clear monthly variability: strongest in January and weakest in August. Also, both its one-year and two-year period variations are revealed evidently. Spatially, KEF is strongest near Japan and more eastward, more weaker. We further discussed the possible factor influenced the KEF strength and obtained the correlation between KEF strength and path length of Kuroshio Extension on interannual timescale.

Key words: Kuroshio Extension, Kuroshio Extension Front (KEF), SST