Lagrangian analysis of the rings in the west-northern Pacific

S.V. Prants, M.Yu. Uleysky, M.V. Budyansky

We apply the Lagrangian approach to study surface transport and mixing 
in the west-northern Pacific using the velocity data derived from 
satellite altimeter measurements.  
New tools [1,2] have been elaborated to track the motion of water masses, 
their origin and fate and to quantify transport and mixing.  
The main attention is paid to study the interaction of the Kuroshio  
current with the rings originating from the jet. We track in detail typical 
mechanisms of detachment of eddies, their life and merging with the jet. 
Influence of the Kuroshio rings on fishery conditions near Kuril and Hokkaido 
islands is studied.

1. S.V. Prants, M.V. Budyansky, V.I. Ponomarev, M.Yu. Uleysky. 
Lagrangian study of transport and mixing in a mesoscale eddy street. 
Ocean modelling. V. 38 (2011) 114. 
2. S.V. Prants, M.Yu. Uleysky, M.V. Budyansky. Numerical simulation 
of propagation of radioactive pollution in the ocean from the 
Fukushima-Dai-ichi nuclear plant. Doklady Earth Sciences. 
V. 439 (2011) 1179.