What is the meaning of Kuroshio Current?
The Kuroshio Current – named for the deep blue of its waters – is the western boundary current of the North Pacific subtropical gyre. The Kuroshio Current is the Pacific analogue of the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean, transporting warm, tropical water northward toward the polar region.
What is another name of Kuroshio Current?
Kuroshio, (Japanese: “Black Current”, ) also called Japan Current, strong surface oceanic current of the Pacific Ocean, the northeasterly flowing continuation of the Pacific North Equatorial Current between Luzon of the Philippines and the east coast of Japan.
Why is the Kuroshio Current important?
The waters of the Kuroshio Current in the northwestern Pacific Ocean transport heat, salt, and organic and inorganic matter from south to north, shaping the ocean ecosystem.
What is the Japanese current?
The Kuroshio (meaning “black stream”) is also known as the Japan Current and it sustains key reef systems off the Japanese coast. It is at least 2,000 miles long and about 60 miles wide and is responsible for relatively mild conditions around Alaska’s southern coast and in British Columbia.
How long is the Kuroshio Current?
6 mi (1 km) of maximum depth runs for 1,864 mi (3,000 km) along the western edge of the Pacific, between the Philippines and the east coast of Japan. A narrow, intense flow persists for 930 mi to 1,240 mi (1,500 to 2,000 km) after the current leaves Japan’s east coast, after which there is a marked drop in velocity.
What is the difference between Oyashio current and Kuroshio Current?
The Kuroshio Current carries oligotrophic water at high temperature from the equator, while the Oyashio Current originating from the subarctic is characterized by high nutrient levels and low temperatures, and the confluence of them shapes the Kuroshio-Oyashio Transition Area which is also called the Mixed water region …
How fast is the Kuroshio Current?
2.5 meters
The Kuroshio flows particularly fast and deep, flowing at a rate of 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) per second and as deep as 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) below the surface. Driven by winds and the Earth’s spin, it begins its journey in the tropical Philippine Sea and flows north to glide against Taiwan.
Why Kuroshio Current is black?
The Kuroshio, one of the three largest of the world’s ocean currents, has long fascinated humans. Early fishermen and explorers took note of these currents because they either sped up their voyages or got them lost. The Japanese named it Kuroshio, or black current, for its dark, cobalt blue waters.
What is the difference between Oyashio Current and Kuroshio Current?
Is Peru current warm or cold?
As it is a cold current, except at times of the phenomenon known as El Niño (q.v.), the Peru Current brings fog to the nearby coast but also helps to keep the coast one of the most intensely arid areas in the world.
What are the effects of Oyashio Current?
The current has an important impact on the climate of the Russian Far East, mainly in Kamchatka and Chukotka, where the northern limit of tree growth is moved south up to ten degrees compared with the latitude it can reach in inland Siberia.
Which type of current is a Oyashio Current?
The cold Oyashio Current, known also as the Kuril Current, is formed by the mixing of two sub-arctic waters: the Okhotsk Sea and the East Kamchatka Current.
How did the Kuroshio Current get its name?
Kuroshio Current. (Japan Current), a warm current in the Pacific Ocean along the southern and eastern shores of Japan. Deriving its name from the dark blue color of its water (in Japanese kuroshio means “black stream”), the current forms as a result of variations in water level in the northern part of the East China Sea and the adjacent ocean.
How does the Kuroshio Current affect the climate?
Like the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean, the Kuroshio Current forms a system of warm currents in the Pacific Ocean, which has a warming effect on the climate and hydrological conditions of the northern part of the ocean.
How long does it take for the Kuroshio Current to form?
Satellite images of the Kuroshio Current illustrate how the current path meanders and forms isolated rings or eddies on the order of 100 to 300 kilometres (60 to 190 mi). Eddies retain their unique form for several months and have their own biological characteristics that depend on where they form.
Where does the Kuroshio Current enter the Pacific Ocean?
The main Kuroshio Current enters the ocean through the northern straits of the Ryukyu Islands and flows as far as 36° N lat. and 150° E long., where it becomes the North Pacific Current. Branches of the Kuroshio Current generally extend to 40° N lat.; those flowing further north meet the cold Kuril Current and form numerous circulations.