Impacts of the Oyashio Temperature Front on the Regional Climate

Impacts of a sea surface temperature front (SSTF) in the northwestern Pacific Ocean on the large-scale summer atmospheric state in the region are examined with a regional atmospheric circulation model developed at the International Pacific Research Center. Ensemble simulation experiments with various SSTF strengths and positions show that an SSTF does have strong impacts on the summer atmospheric circulation in the region. A meridional shift in the position of the SSTF generally shifts the tropospheric jet and brings temperature anomalies in the area affected by the shift.