Effects of Singular-Vector-Type Initial Errors on the Short-Range Prediction of Kuroshio Extension Transition Processes

The effects of optimal initial error on the short-range prediction of transition processes between the Kuroshio Extension (KE) bimodalities are analyzed using a reduced-gravity shallow-water model and the singular vector (SV) approach. Emphasis is placed on the spatial structures, growing processes, and effects of the SVs. The results show that the large values of the SVs are mainly located in the first crest region of the KE (around 35°N, 144°E) and in the Kuroshio large meander (KLM) region south of Japan (around 32°N, 139.5°E). The fast growths of the SVs have important impacts on the prediction of transition of the KE bimodality. The initial error with +SV pattern (with positive anomalies in the first crest region of the KE and negative anomalies in the KLM region) tends to strengthen the KE and shift it toward the high-energy state, while the error with −SV pattern is prone to weaken the KE and shift it toward the low-energy state. In addition, the SV-type initial errors grow more quickly in ...