Barrier layer in the North Pacific subtropical gyre

Kanako Sato, Toshio Suga, Kimio Hanawa

doi:10.1029/2003gl018590

Barrier layer in the North Pacific subtropical gyre

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Kanako Sato

Department of Geophysics, Graduate School of Science Tohoku University Sendai Japan
Toshio Suga

Department of Geophysics, Graduate School of Science Tohoku University Sendai Japan
Kimio Hanawa

Department of Geophysics, Graduate School of Science Tohoku University Sendai Japan

書誌事項

公開日: 2004-03-05

権利情報

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor

DOI

10.1029/2003gl018590

公開者: American Geophysical Union (AGU)

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説明

<jats:p>By analyzing all the available temperature/salinity profiles obtained by Argo floats as of August 2003, we evaluate the barrier layers (BLs) in the North Pacific subtropical gyre. 20.5% of the profiles at 10°–25°N have BLs with thickness greater than 10 m. The relative frequency and typical thickness of the BLs are generally higher and greater, respectively, during January–May, which are consistent with the wider distribution of the previously reported climatological BL in winter and spring. Because evaporation dominates over precipitation in winter, we infer that the subduction of high saline water, known as North Pacific Tropical Water, is responsible for the BL formation in 10°–25°N, at least in winter. Patchy occurrence of the BLs detected by the floats, and locally confined intense salinity fronts in several synoptic sections, suggest that the BLs are formed by the subduction at those sharp salinity fronts.</jats:p>