Abstract
Regional characteristics of the North Pacific intermediate salinity minima were described under
the light of new data sets from WOCE Pre P2 and WHP P2 cruises, which were carried out on the
board of Shoyo of the Hydrographic Department, Maritime Safety Agency and of Kaiyo-maru of
Japan Fisheries Agency, respectively. Sea water properties of salinity, density and dissolved oxy
gen were examined on an intermediate salinity minimum surface. It was clarified that spatial distri
bution of the sea water properties in the area east of the meridian to 160°W is significantly different
from that in the western area. Both the process and the area of the formation of the intermediate
salinity minima are strongly suggested not to be unique in the North Pacific.
