Long term fluctuation and current states of physical ocean environments around Japan was reviewed. Sea surface temperature (SST) in the southern part of Japan showed a increasing trend, while there is no obvious trend in the northern part. In the Pacific side, the Kuroshio Extension was tending to retreat southward and the Oyashio First Branch was tending to extend southward. These frontal move-ments were decreasing subsurface temperature and preventing the increase of the SST. In the Sea of Okhotsk, cumulative sea ice cover area showed a decreasing trend. Around Japan, although effects of global atmospheric teleconnection patterns and those associated regime shifts are important, each part of ocean has its own characteristic variability associated with ocean currents and physical structures.
展开▼
