Satellite and ship observations of Kuroshio warm-core ring 93A off Sanriku, northwestern North Pacific, in spring 1997

Abstract

Synoptic ship and satellite observations were performed of the Kuroshio warm-core ring (KWCR) 93A and its adjacent waters, off Sanriku, northwestern North Pacific, between early April and late June 1997. The temporal and spatial distribution of chlorophylla (Chl-a) and sea surface temperature in the study area were analyzed using data from ADEOS Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (OCTS) and NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). The objective of this study was to describe the temporal and spatial variability of the spring bloom and understand its relationship with the changes in the hydrographic structure of these waters in and around KWCR 93A. The maximum value of Chl-a concentration in the ring was less than 1 mg/m3 during April. The spring bloom in the ring occurred early in May and the relatively high maximum (>1.0 mg/m3) continued from early in May to mid-June. In late June, a ship-observed surface Chl-a concentration of less than 0.4 mg/m3 suggests that the spring bloom had already declined in and around KWCR 93A. Double spiral structures of warm and cold streamers appeared from late April to mid-May, which may have an influence on the occurrence of the spring bloom in and around the ring. In this episodic event, the warm streamer can maintain the available potential energy of the ring and the strength of upwelling around the ring. The cold streamer provided water with a high Chl-a concentration to the surface layer of the ring. In order to understand the temporal and spatial variability of Chl-a distribution in the ring, the behavior of the warm and cold streamers needs to be taken into consideration.