Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Observations of the North Equatorial Current, Mindanao Current, and Kuroshio current system during the 2006/07 El Niño and 2007/08 La Niña

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Oceanography Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Two onboard observation campaigns were carried out in the western boundary region of the Philippine Sea in December 2006 and January 2008 during the 2006/07 El Niño and the 2007/08 La Niña to observe the North Equatorial Current (NEC), Mindanao Current (MC), and Kuroshio current system. The NEC and MC measured in late 2006 under El Niño conditions were stronger than those measured during early 2008 under La Niña conditions. The opposite was true for the current speed of the Kuroshio, which was stronger in early 2008 than in late 2006. The increase in dynamic height around 8°N, 130°E from December 2006 to January 2008 resulted in a weakening of the NEC and MC. Local wind variability in this region did not appear to contribute to changes in the current system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Firing, E. (1991): Acoustic Doppler current profiling measurements and navigation. WHP Off. Rep. WHP09-1, WOCE Rep. 68/91, US WHP Off., Scripps Inst. of Oceanogr., La Jolla, CA, 24 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Firing, E., Y. Kashino and P. Hacker (2005): Energetic subthermocline currents observed east of Mindanao. Deep-Sea Res., Part II, 52, 605–613.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gu, D. and S. G. H. Philander (1997): Interdecadal climate fluctuations that depend on exchanges between the tropics and extratropics. Science, 275, 805–807.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, D. X., M. C. Cui, T. D. Qu and Y. X. Li (1991): A subsurface northward current off Mindanao identified by dynamic calculation. In Oceanography of Asian Marginal Seas, ed. by K. Takano, Elsevier Oceanogr. Ser., 54, 359–365.

  • Kashino, Y., H. Watanabe, B. Herunadi, M. Aoyama and D. Hartoyo (1999): Current variability at the Pacific entrance of the Indonesian Throughflow. J. Geophys. Res., 104, 11,021–11,035.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kashino, Y., A. Ishida and Y. Kuroda (2005): Variability of the Mindanao Current: mooring observation results. Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L18611, doi:10.1029/2005GL023880.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, Y. Y., T. Qu, T. Jensen, T. Miyama, H. Mitsudera, H. W. Kang and A. Ishida (2004): Seasonal and interannual variations of the North Equatorial Current bifurcation in a highresolution OGCM. J. Geophys. Res., 109, C03040, doi:10.1029/2003JC002013.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuroda, Y. and Y. Amitani (2001): TRITON: new ocean and atmosphere observing buoy network for monitoring ENSO. Umi no Kenkyu, 10, 157–172 (in Japanese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lukas, R., E. Firing, P. Hacker, P. L. Richardson, C. A. Collins, R. A. Fine and R. Gammon (1991): Observations of the Mindanao Current during the Western Equatorial Pacific Ocean Circulation Study. J. Geophys. Res., 96, 7089–7104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lukas, R., T. Yamagata and J. P. McCreary (1996): Pacific low-latitude western boundary currents and the Indonesian throughflow. J. Geophys. Res., 101, 12,209–12,216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Masumoto, Y. and T. Yamagata (1991): Response of the western tropical Pacific to the Asian winter monsoon: the generation of the Mindanao Dome. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 21, 1386–1398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu, B. and T. Joyce (1992): Interannual variability in the mid-and low-latitude western north Pacific. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 22, 1062–1079.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu, B. and R. Lukas (1996): Seasonal and interannual variability of the North Equatorial Current, the Mindanao Current, and the Kuroshio along the Pacific western boundary. J. Geophys. Res., 101, 12,315–12,330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qu, T. and R. Lukas (2003): The bifurcation of the North Equatorial Current in the Pacific. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 33, 5–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qu, T., H. Mitsudera and T. Yamagata (1998): On the western boundary currents in the Philippine Sea. J. Geophys. Res., 103, 7537–7548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sasaki, H., Y. Sasai, M. Nonaka, Y. Masumoto and S. Kawahara (2006): An eddy-resolving simulation of the quasi-global ocean driven by satellite-observed wind field—preliminary outcomes from physical and biological fields. J. Earth Simulator, 6, 35–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toole, J. M., R. C. Millard, Z. Wang and S. Pu (1990): Observations of the Pacific North Equatorial Current bifurcation at the Philippine Coast. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 20, 307–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tozuka, T., T. Kagimoto, Y. Masumoto and T. Yamagata (2002): Simulated multiscale variations in the western tropical Pacific: The Mindanao Dome revisited. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 32, 1338–1359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ueki, I., Y. Kashino and Y. Kuroda (2003): Observation of current variations off the New Guinea coast including the 1997–1998 El Niño period and their relationship with Sverdrup transport. J. Geophys. Res., 108, 3243, doi:10.1029/ 2002JC001611.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Tommy Jensen

    Present address: QinetiQ North America, Technology Solutions Group, Stennis Space Center, MS, 39529, Mississippi, U.S.A.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Observational Research for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology, Natsushima, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan

    Yuji Kashino & Akio Ishida

  2. The Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Quezon, 1101, Philippines

    Norievill España

  3. Badan Pengkajian Dan Penerapan Teknologi, Jakarta, 10340, Indonesia

    Fadli Syamsudin

  4. International Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 96822, U.S.A.

    Kelvin J. Richards & Tommy Jensen

  5. Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 96822, U.S.A.

    Pierre Dutrieux

Authors
  1. Yuji Kashino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Norievill España
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fadli Syamsudin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kelvin J. Richards
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Tommy Jensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Pierre Dutrieux
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Akio Ishida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yuji Kashino.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kashino, Y., España, N., Syamsudin, F. et al. Observations of the North Equatorial Current, Mindanao Current, and Kuroshio current system during the 2006/07 El Niño and 2007/08 La Niña. J Oceanogr 65, 325–333 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-009-0030-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-009-0030-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation