Kuroshio Current
The Kuroshio (Japanese黒 潮, GV Black flow, also known as the Japan Current ) is a surface ocean currents in the western Pacific. It is an extension of the current flowing in the north Pacific North Equatorial current between Luzon in the Philippines and the east coast of Japan. The water temperature is very high at about 20 ° C for this region, the salinity is 3.45%. The Kuroshio transports a flow rate of an average of 25 Sv.
The flow leads to Taiwan (formerly Formosa ) and the Ryukyu Islands over before it flows around the coast of Kyushu, where foothills in the summer months, turn west and then north-east pass through the Strait of Korea to parallel to the coast of Honshu as Tsushima current to cross the Sea of Japan. The transport volume of Tsushima is comparatively low with 2 Sv.
The main part of the Kuroshio flows east past Japan and meets in the area around 35 ° N to the southward flowing Oyashio. Together, the two ocean currents form the North Pacific Current ( North Pacific West Wind Drift ). To the west of the Hawaiian Islands, this flow loses much of its energy and forms as a giant vortex counterflow to the Kuroshio, the further south joins the Pacific North Equatorial Current and the water so back into the cycle.
Foothills of the original stream flow eastward and divide into the Alaska Current and the California Current.
The Kuroshio subject in the flow behavior of seasonal fluctuations. The strongest is the flow in the spring months with ~ 30 Sv. In late summer and autumn, the flow weaker ( ~ 19 Sv ) in January and February, it increases again, and in the early spring by a slight slowdown is yet to be seen.
The Kuroshio ocean current than a similarly important climate -determining effect for Japan, such as the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic to Europe. From the southern tip of the Japanese islands of the warming effect extends north to the region around Tokyo.
The Kuroshio is the Europeans since 1650 known as shows a map of Bernhardus Varenius. He is also listed in the records of Captain J. King, a member of the expedition of James Cook ( 1776-80 ). The name of the Kuroshio ( Black Current ) is derived from the color of the water that stands out from the surrounding water perfused through its dark to almost black color.