Some Properties of the Warm Eddies Generated in the Confluence Zone of the Kuroshio and Oyashio Currents

The size, movement and maximum core temperature of warm eddies off Japan are discussed on the basis of 154 examples of warm eddies from various sources during the 17 year period 1957–73, inclusive. The warm eddies generated in the confluence zone of the Kuroshio and the Oyashio Currents are distributed in a rather restricted area of the sea and have an elliptical form with an average diameter of about 70 n mi. The eddies usually move to north or northeast with speeds of 0.3–2.0 n mi day−1 along the contours of the continental slope. As the eddies move north their size and the maximum core temperature gradually decrease.