Observations of Argos Satellite-tracked drifters
1.Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA, Hangzhou 310012, China
2. Key Laboratory of Ocean Dynamic Processes and Satellite Oceanography, SOA, Hangzhou 310012, China
Abstract:Abstract: Argos satellite-tracked drifter is an ocean observing instrument using Argos satellite system for drifter positing and data transmitting. This kind of drifter can observe surface current and sea surface temperature (SST) continuously based on Lagrangian method. In this study, the characteristics of surface current and SST variation along the tracks of the drifters are analyzed using observing data obtained from some drifters, which were deployed in the South China Sea and Western Pacific ocean in recent years. The result shows that: （1）The trajectories of drifters indicate that the inter-annual variability of the surface path of the Kuroshio is large; (2) In January of 2003, the sea surface water of the Kuroshio had a tendency of intruding into the South China Sea, but not entering the interior of the South China Sea. In summer, the sea surface water in the South China Sea flowed eastward through Luzon Strait and joined the Kuroshio; (3) In autumn, there was a strong anti-cyclone northeast of Taiwan, with 270 km of spatial scale; (4) The Kuroshio flowed crookedly when it passed through the East China Sea in the late of summer and early of autumn, and formed many small cyclone; (5) There wasn’t a surface branch of the Kuroshio flowing northward and entering the area of the Tsushima Warm Current, southwest of Kyushu; (6) The Kuroshio bended weekly south of Japan in autumn of 2003, and was accompanied by cold and warm cyclones, in which the strength and spatiality of warm cyclone was larger than that of cold cyclone; (7) The observed SST distribution demonstrated the characteristics of changing daily and seasonally. Corresponding to the anti-cyclone or cyclone areas where the drifter passed, the SST showed high or low. But the low temperature area east of Taiwan was related to typhoon passing at this period.
Keywords: Argos satellite-tracked drifter; Kuroshio; current