Formation Process of North Pacific Intermediate Water Revealed by Profiling Floats Set to Drift on 26.7   Isopycnal Surface

Ventilation revealed by the observation of dissolved oxygen concentration south of the Kuroshio Extension during 2012–2013

“…Simultaneously, low-salinity water fresher than 34.0 intrudes into the layer between 26.3 and 27.0σ θ to a depth of approximately 1100 dbar. Such an intrusion may contribute to the formation of the North Pacific intermediate water (e.g., Shimizu et al 2004). The variation in DO from the moored buoy observation and the hydrographic cross-sectional structure from shipboard observation provide evidence of meso-and submesoscale processes that transport water southward across the KE jet.…”

“…With this anomalously thick subduction in late winter, the waters fresher than 34.0 intruded into the layer below the isopycnal surface of 26.7σ θ . These are considered to be the Oyashio-derived waters as studied by Okuda et al (2001) and Shimizu et al (2004). Because this layer in the North Pacific is never exposed to the sea surface (Reid 1965), the intrusion into the layer deeper than 1000 dbar cannot be identified by either high DO (Fig.…”

Long-term monitoring of bottom environments of the continental slope off Otsuchi Bay, northeastern Japan

“…In contrast, the Oyashio water system is derived from the Oyashio cold current in the North Pacific and Okhotsk Sea, which flows along the Kuril Islands and off southeastern Hokkaido (e.g., Yasuda 2003). The characteristics of the cold lower level water are typical of North Pacific Intermediate Water, which forms by the mixing of Kuroshio and Oyashio waters (Talley et al 1995;Shimizu et al 2004). Thus, in early May, Tsugaru warm current water was exchanged for Oyashio water system water (Fig.…”

Transport of subarctic large copepods from the Oyashio area to the mixed water region by the coastal Oyashio intrusion

“…10a). The path along which these two moved northeastward was classified as a ‘northern path’ by Shimizu et al. (2004), with water characteristics that are strongly influenced by the Kuroshio water.…”

“…They rise to the sea surface to transmit data to a satellite system. A more detailed description of the functions of these floats is given in Shimizu et al. (2004).…”