Synchronous bidecadal periodic changes of oxygen, phosphate and temperature between the Japan Sea deep water and the North Pacific intermediate water

• Published in: Geophysical research letters Vol. 30; no. 24; pp. 2273 - n/a
• Main Authors: Watanabe, Yutaka W., Wakita, Masahide, Maeda, Nobuhiro, Ono, Tsuneo, Gamo, Toshitaka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Geophysical Union 01.12.2003; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Air/sea interactions; Anthropogenic effects; Biological and Chemical; Chemical tracers; Global Change; Hydrology; Marine; Nutrients and nutrient cycling; Oceanography; Oceans; Physical; INW, Japan Sea; INW, North Pacific, North Pacific Intermediate Water
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1029/2003GL018338

From time series of dissolved oxygen (O2), phosphate (PO4) and water temperature (T) during the last forty years in the Japan Sea Deep Water and the North Pacific Intermediate Water, we found that O2, PO4 and T show a clear bidecadal oscillations of about 18 years superimposed on the linear trends of decrease of 0.47 μmol‐O2 kg−1 yr−1 and increase of 0.003 μmol‐PO4 kg−1 yr−1 and 0.005°C yr−1 in both two oceanic areas. The changes of O2, PO4 and T in the two oceanic areas were synchronized despite the water formation systems of each area being independent. Both the linear trends and the oscillations of O2, PO4 and T in the two oceanic areas also showed a strong correlation with the anomaly of the sea surface level pressure in the North Pacific that possibly affects the change of surface oceanic condition.