Abstract
To examine properties of winter mixed layer variability and nutrient supply processes into the mixed layer on the shelf-slope region facing the Kuroshio, off the southwestern coast of Japan, we developed a1／50-degree high-resolution ocean model and its upgraded version coupled with a simplified lower-trophic ecosystem model, which were capable of resolving submesoscale variations. For the latter model, we ignored nutrient inputs from the land such as rivers and underground, and focused only on nutrient supplies accompanied by the Kuroshio variations. This study demonstrated the significance of submesoscale modeling for the nutrient supply processes to the Kuroshio shelf-slope region.
