Study on the mesoscale eddies around the Ryukyu Islands

Results of the Ocean General Circulation Model for the Earth Simulator (OFES) from January 1977 to December 2006 are used to investigate mesoscale eddies near the Ryukyu Islands. The results show that: (1) Larger eddies are mainly east of Taiwan, above the Ryukyu Trench and south of the Shikoku Island. These three sea areas are all in the vicinity of the Ryukyu Current. (2) Eddies in the area of the Ryukyu Current are mainly anticyclonic, and conducive to that current. The transport of water east of the Ryukyu Islands is mainly toward the northeast. (3) The Ryukyu Current is significantly affected by the eddies. The lower the latitude, the greater these effects. However, the Kuroshio is relatively stable, and the effect of mesoscale eddies is not significant. (4) A warm eddy south of the Shikoku Island break away from the Kuroshio and move southwest, and is clearly affected by the Ryukyu Current and Kuroshio. Relationships between the mesoscale eddies, Kuroshio meanders, and Ryukyu Current are discussed.