Characteristics of the two types of Kuroshio large meanders

Abstract

There are two types of Kuroshio large meanders: the large meander west（LMW）, whose trough（the southernmost point）is located west of the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge, and the large meander east（LME）, whose trough is located on the ridge. We compared the characteristics of LMW and LME using accumulated Kuroshio path data. Comparing the five LMWs and three LMEs, the central latitude of the meanders of the LME was higher than that of the LMW, and the amplitude of the meanders of the LME was smaller than that of the LMW. Fitting the solution of the path equation to the Kuroshio path, the initial path direction of the LME was smaller than that of the LMW, but the characteristic velocities and meander wavelengths of the LME were not significantly different from those of the LMW. The difference in longitude between the LME and LMW troughs is due to the difference in separation longitude, not the difference in meander wavelength associated with the difference in characteristic velocity.