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Response of the K uroshio E xtension path state to near‐term global warming in CMIP5 experiments with MIROC4h
Author(s) -
Li Rui,
Jing Zhao,
Chen Zhaohui,
Wu Lixin
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: oceans
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9291
pISSN - 2169-9275
DOI - 10.1002/2016jc012468
Subject(s) - ocean gyre , climatology , anticyclone , wind stress , forcing (mathematics) , geology , middle latitudes , environmental science , sea surface temperature , subtropics , fishery , biology
In this study, responses of the Kuroshio Extension (KE) path state to near‐term (2006–2035) global warming are investigated using a Kuroshio‐resolving atmosphere‐ocean coupled model. Under the representative concentration pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5) forcing, the KE system is intensified and its path state tends to move northward and becomes more stable. It is suggested that the local anticyclonic wind stress anomalies in the KE region favor the spin‐up of the southern recirculation gyre, and the remote effect induced by the anticyclonic wind stress anomalies over the central and eastern midlatitude North Pacific also contributes to the stabilization of the KE system substantially. The dominant role of wind stress forcing on KE variability under near‐term global warming is further confirmed by adopting a linear 1.5 layer reduced‐gravity model forced by wind stress curl field from the present climate model. It is also found that the main contributing longitudinal band for KE index (KEI) moves westward in response to the warmed climate. This results from the northwestward expansion of the large‐scale sea level pressure (SLP) field.