Shear in Pacific’s Wide Warm Surface Currents

Abstract

Within the two poleward wide warm surface currents that cross mid-latitudes on the eastern sides of the North and South Pacific Oceans, a single prediction is made that they have a horizontal velocity shear such that their mean speeds monotonically increase from east to west. This prediction is inspired mainly by a re-examination of the east/west asymmetric observations previously documented: the longitudinal maximum in sea surface temperature in the eastern parts of both oceans at mid-latitudes is located significantly west of the region of maximum mixed layer depths, which occur in the middle of these currents. Also the application of recent dynamical considerations discussed below stimulated the prediction, which include the application of Bernoulli’s law to streamlines in the flows as well as the geostrophic balance in the cross-stream direction. These caused the rethinking of an earlier explanation, which upon reflection now seems less suitable than the present one.