The relation between the Mindanao Current and Mindanao Undercurrent on seasonal scale

WANG Yan; LAN Jian; LI Li

doi:10.1007/s13131-016-0858-1

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WANG Yan, LAN Jian, LI Li. The relation between the Mindanao Current and Mindanao Undercurrent on seasonal scale[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2016, 35(5): 1-8. doi: 10.1007/s13131-016-0858-1

Citation:

WANG Yan, LAN Jian, LI Li. The relation between the Mindanao Current and Mindanao Undercurrent on seasonal scale[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2016, 35(5): 1-8. doi: 10.1007/s13131-016-0858-1

WANG Yan, LAN Jian, LI Li. The relation between the Mindanao Current and Mindanao Undercurrent on seasonal scale[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2016, 35(5): 1-8. doi: 10.1007/s13131-016-0858-1

Citation:

WANG Yan, LAN Jian, LI Li. The relation between the Mindanao Current and Mindanao Undercurrent on seasonal scale[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2016, 35(5): 1-8. doi: 10.1007/s13131-016-0858-1

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The relation between the Mindanao Current and Mindanao Undercurrent on seasonal scale

doi: 10.1007/s13131-016-0858-1

WANG Yan¹,
LAN Jian^2
,,
LI Li¹

1.
College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
2.
College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China;Physical Oceanography Laboratory, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China

Received Date: 2015-04-28
Rev Recd Date: 2015-09-28

Abstract

Abstract

The ocean general circulation model for the earth simulator (OFES) products is applied to estimate the transports of the Mindanao Current (MC) and the Mindanao undercurrent (MUC) and explore the relation between them on seasonal scale. In general, the MUC is composed of the lower part of the Southern Pacific Tropical Water (SPTW) and Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW). While the deep northward core below 1 500 m is regarded as a portion of MUC. Both salinity and potential density restrictions become more reasonable to estimate the transports of MC/MUC as the properties of water mass having been taken into consideration. The climatological annual mean transport of MC is (37.4±5.81)×10⁶ m³/s while that of MUC is (23.92±6.47)×10⁶ m³/s integrated between 26.5σ_θ and 27.7 σ_θ, and (17.53±5.45)×1010⁶ m³/s integrated between 26.5 σ_θ and 27.5 σ_θ in the OFES. The variations of MC and MUC have good positive correlation with each other on the seasonal scale: The MC is stronger in spring and weaker in fall, which corresponds well with the MUC, and the correlation coefficient of them is 0.67 in the OFES. The same variations are also appeared in hybrid coordinate ocean model (HYCOM) results. Two sensitive experiments based on HYCOM are conducted to explore the relation between MC and MUC. The MUC (26.5< σ_θ< 27.7) is strengthening as the MC increases with the enhancement of zonal wind field. It is shown, however, that the main part of the increasement is the deeper northward high potential density water (HPDW), while the AAIW almost remains stable, SPTW decreases, and vice versa.
- Mindanao Current,
- Mindanao Undercurrent,
- potential density,
- transport,
- seasonal variability

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References(33)

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