Abstract
A Study of Kuroshio based on eddy kinematics is proposed in this paper. Three kinds of data are used; remotely sensed data by satellites, hydrographic data on the sea, and knowledge data handed down by fishermen.
At the first step, some cyclonic eddies several tens miles in diameter are detected on NOAA images. They are born at some capes located on the Pacific coast of Japan, which move too rapidly to make clear them by the observation on the sea. To chase them, however, remotely sensed data have a weak point; strongly disturbed by the atmosphere.
At the second step, "phase analysis method" is introduced. The study area is focussed on the Cape Shionomisaki and its sea environs. Space information of an eddy is obtained from a Landsat image. Time series information of its formation is obtained from hydrographic data of sea levels at the ports near the cape; Kushimoto and Uragami. To support the analysis, knowledge data of sea are used. By synthesizing them, the mechanism of the birth of eddies is made clear.
At the third step, the study area is scaled up to the Kumano Sea and the Enshuu Sea, extending more than 100 miles. NOAA data, hydrograpic data and knowledge data are synthesized to analyze the kinematical characteristics of the eddies; their formation, self-propelled motion, exfoliation, flowing down, coupling and amalgamation to an large cyclonic cold water mass 100 miles in diameter. A mechanism of the Kuroshio Meandering is revealed, in that the eddies born at the capes causes the spin up of the cold water masses that bend the course of the Kuroshio offshore.
As the results, a strategy of attack to the Kuroshio is proposed, that is sharply focussed on the kinematics of the cyclonic eddies produced at the capes.
