020 BLAHA, J., and REED, R. 1982. "Fluctuations of Sea-Level in the 

 Western North Pacific and Inferred Flow of the Kuroshio," Journal of Physical 

 Oceanography . Vcl 12, No. 7, pp 669-678. 



Monthly sea- level elevations at Naze and Aburatsu, sites on either side 

 of the Tokara Strait through which the Kuroshio flows, were analyzed for the 

 period 1963-74. The sea-level elevations were adjusted to uniform atmospheric 

 pressure using a barometric factor of 1 cm mb' . The adjusted elevations are 

 presented as 1) long-term mean seasonal values and 2) deviations from the 

 long-term means. Differences in the elevations between the two sites were 

 then used as indices of the transport of the Kuroshio. 



The seasonal amplitude of the elevation differences across the Kuroshio, 

 Naze minus Aburatsu, is -13% of the mean surface geopotential anomaly differ- 

 ence of 0.6 dyn m (0/1000 db) . The phase of this difference signal indicates 

 maximum northward flow in summer. Zonally integrated wind- stress curl at this 

 latitude in the Pacific interior, however, is most anticyclonic during winter. 

 Instead, the seasonal fluctuations of the Kuroshio are more nearly in phase 

 with the fluctuations in the latitudinal gradients of Ekman pumping in the 

 western North Pacific. The seasonal winds between 7 and 15° N drive a 

 westward interior flow to the western boundary, and winds north of 15° N drive 

 flow away from the western boundary. We speculate that this mechanism effects 

 the seasonal fluctuations of the Kuroshio. The seasonal cycle of Ekman pump- 

 ing, particularly between 11 and 19° N, is not constant across the Pacific, 

 which helps to reconcile seasonal differences in the fluctuations of the 

 Kuroshio and the North Equatorial Current. 



Significant interannual variations are observed in the Kuroshio and at 

 sea- level stations within the North Equatorial Current, e.g. at Guam and 

 Legaspi (Philippines). However, there are fluctuations clearly associated 

 with El Nino at Legaspi, Guam and San Diego which do not appear in the 

 Kuroshio during the 12-year period we examined. (Authors). 



021 BLAHA, J. P. 1984. "Fluctuations of Monthly Sea-Level as Related to 

 the Intensity of the Gulf Stream From Key West to Norfolk," Journal of Geo- 

 physical Research . Vol 89, No. C5 , pp 8033-8042. 



Tide gage data from Key West to Norfolk were used to identify a monthly 

 signal in sea-level that is uncorrelated with local shelf -trapped processes. 

 Time series (1955-1975) of local winds, sea-level slope, and river runoff were 

 used in a regression model of sea- level to separate a local response and a 

 residual signal. The monthly means of the residual contribution were 

 investigated for their relationship to the seasonal fluctuations of the Gulf 

 Stream. In the Florida Channel, lower sea-level is found to correspond to 

 increased flow of the Florida Current. During July and August a marked fall 

 in residual sea- level, unrelated to the coastal winds, is found from Key West 

 to Charleston, suggesting that the transport of the Gulf Stream increases both 

 in and north of the Florida Channel during this time. Measured long-term 

 monthly surface currents at Diamond Shoals, Cape Hatteras , which markedly 

 increase in summer to high velocities, tend to substantiate this claim. An 

 additional wintertime low in residual sea- level occurs north of the Florida 

 Channel. The wintertime low does not result from steric heating within the 

 upper 100-150 m of water, nor does it, in contrast to the summertime low, 



11 



