Recent Advances in Studies on Formation Mechanism of Subtropical Mode Water and Its Climate Features in North Pacific

摘要

Mode Water’, as a product of air-sea interaction, influences the thermal structure and circulation pattern in upper layer ocean and consequently affects the variations of climate. In this paper the recent research results about the subtropi-cal Mode Water in the North Pacific are overiewed. A detailed description of the three kinds of Mode Water in the subtropical North Pacific and some comparisons of their similarities and differences are introduced. Some science problems that need further exploration have been raised.