Abstract
A simplistic interpretation of eddy heat fluxes from a two-year current meter mooring deployment in the Kuroshio Extension leads to the conclusion that the eddy field is denying at 152°E, contradicting observations from the surface to 300 m that indicate the region to be one of steady or growing eddy energy. Thus, a simplified version of the method used by Hall to construct the velocity field of the current from the moored data has been used to examine the baroclinic and barotropic energy conversions in the cyclonic and anticyclonic portions of the current, for both geographic and ‘stream’ coordinates. Although the error bars are large, in stream coordinates significant conversions of mean to eddy potential energy occur on the anticyclonic side of the current at both 350 and 625 dbar, with smaller average conversions of eddy to mean energy over the cold portion. Barotropic conversions in this coordinate system are small, but qualitatively the calculated Reynolds stresses agree with previous obser... Abstract A simplistic interpretation of eddy heat fluxes from a two-year current meter mooring deployment in the Kuroshio Extension leads to the conclusion that the eddy field is denying at 152°E, contradicting observations from the surface to 300 m that indicate the region to be one of steady or growing eddy energy. Thus, a simplified version of the method used by Hall to construct the velocity field of the current from the moored data has been used to examine the baroclinic and barotropic energy conversions in the cyclonic and anticyclonic portions of the current, for both geographic and ‘stream’ coordinates. Although the error bars are large, in stream coordinates significant conversions of mean to eddy potential energy occur on the anticyclonic side of the current at both 350 and 625 dbar, with smaller average conversions of eddy to mean energy over the cold portion. Barotropic conversions in this coordinate system are small, but qualitatively the calculated Reynolds stresses agree with previous obser...