Characteristics of Mesoscale Eddies in the Vicinity of the Kuroshio: Statistics from Satellite Altimeter Observations and OFES Model Data

Abstract

Mesoscale eddies propagate westward in the northwestern Pacific Ocean and interact with the Kuroshio in the vicinity of the western boundary of the ocean. However, the processes affecting the eddy properties and the detailed structure of the eddies when they encounter the Kuroshio remain unclear. In this study, we analyze the statistics of the eddy properties around the Kuroshio using 25 years of satellite altimeter data and the eddy-resolving OFES model product. The spatial compositions of the eddies in the northwestern Pacific show that, as the eddies propagate westward, their radius and amplitude decrease sharply when they approach the Kuroshio region. The radius, amplitude, and kinetic energy of the eddies reaching the Kuroshio region decay much faster during their lifespan compared with the eddies in the interior of the Pacific Ocean. Furthermore, the three-dimensional structure of the eddies obtained from the OFES model data shows that the maximum temperature anomalies in the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies occur at ~300 m, and the maximum depth reduces as a result of the interaction between the eddies and the main Kuroshio current.