Oceanographic aspects of the Emperor Seamounts region

Abstract

Effects of the Emperor Seamount Chain on the thermohaline structure and baroclinic flow are investigated on the basis of historical hydrographi data. The amplitudes of dynamic height perturbations are 3 to 5 times larger west than east of the chain. The intensity of the thermal fronts is stronger west than east of the seamounts; near the crest of the southern seamounts, strong east‐west thermohaline fronts and a strong northward baroclinic flow are observed. The Kuroshio Extension west of the seamount chain is a well‐defined meandering current, the axis of which generally lies between 33° and 36°N. The available data indicate that the Kuroshio Extension turns northward and then flows eastward through the gaps of the seamount chain. East of the seamounts, the Kuroshio Extension widens threefold and appears to be poorly defined.