Spatial Variation of Temperature Monthly at Kuroshio of East China Sea

The Kuroshio of the East China Sea (ECS-Kuroshio) is a strong current, which influence climate of China coast and East Asia. The ocean temperature changes with month, is a foundation to reveal the seasonal and interannual climate variabilities. Here, using “2009 World Ocean Atlas” and “2-Minute Gridded Global Relief depth Data”, developing three-dimensional volume-section visualization technique and analysis technology, temperature changes and heat exchanges monthly at ECS-Kuroshio are discussed. The results show that the heat exchange between the Kuroshio and ECS at surface got to maximum in March ~ May and to minimum in Aug ~ Sept, occurred mainly on the side near continental shelf of ECS, the largest areas were in northeast of Tokara Strait, northeast of the Taiwan island near 124ºE and the sea around 127ºE, depended on temperature variations. From the entrance to the outlet along ECS-Kuroshio current, the heat exchange occurred mainly in the 30~150m layer, it got maximum in July ~ Sept and minimum in Nov ~ Jan. There was a temperature-transitional-layer (TTL) around 220m depth.