Origin of near-surface high-salinity water observed in the Kuroshio Extension region

Abstract

Hydrographic data in the Kuroshio Extension (KE) region from 2008 to 2010 show large year-to-year variability in near-surface salinity, including a very large anomalous event in February 2010. During this event, the deep winter mixed layer in the southern KE region had higher salinity than had existed during the previous summer in September 2009. Our analysis shows that advection from the Philippine Sea along the western branch of the North Pacific subtropical gyre, taking approximately 9 months, resulted in this large salinity anomaly in February 2010 and contributes to the interannual salinity variability in the southern KE region.