The Kuroshio Current

1
The Kuroshio Current

• Fast moving warm water current
• Analogous to the gulf stream
• Also known as the Black Stream after its deep
  blue water.

2
Path of the Kuroshio Current

• The Pacific North Equatorial Current branches to
  feed the Equatorial Counter Current and the
  Kuroshio Current.
• Warm water from low latitudes is driven by the
  trade winds along the equator and deflected along
  the western boundry of Taiwan and the
  Northwestern Boundry of Japan
• The Kurishio then divides into two legs the
  Kurishio Extension (or the main stream) and the
  Tsushima Current.

3
Features of the Kuroshio Current

• Travels at a speed of about 7 km per hour
• Can have a width of up to 100 km
• Can transport water at a rate of 50 million tons
  per second.

4
Biological Importance

• Transports warm waters that sustain the coral
  reefs of Japan.
• Where the Kuroshio meets the cold nutrient rich
  Oyashio Current there is an explosive
  phytoplankton bloom that drives a rich fishery.

5
References

• http//www.jamstec.go.jp/jamstec-e/earth/index.htm
  l
• Annual and Interannual Variability in the
  Kuroshio Current System. Keisuke Mizuno and
  Warren B. White. Oct 1983
• Taiwan Current (Kuroshio) and Impinging Eddies.
  Yih Yang, et al. Journal of Oceanography, Vol.
  55, pp. 609 to 617. 1999