PCM5 (ASUKA)

This experiment produced 40 current meter records from 9 moorings, each of which was occupied twice. You can view metadata and download the records by clicking on links in the tables below. Each current meter record is identified in the tables by its depth and the name of the mooring. You may want to look at a map of the array to see where the moorings were. A brief description of the experiment also is available. If you download any of the current meter records you should review the note on file format. From here you can also move up one level to the list of WOCE experiments.

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The PCM5 dataset, which contains the first successful long-term direct current measurements from this region, was gathered by the ASUKA group (Affiliated Surveys of the Kuroshio off Cape Ashizuri). Ten current meter moorings were installed along a line extending southeastward from Cape Ashizuri (see map) . This line was chosen to coincide with a subsatellite track of TOPEX/POSEIDON, which has been measuring the sea surface height since 1992. Together with the field observations, the altimetry data give a fairly long continuous record of the Kuroshio transport. A WOCE goal is to combine this information with trans-Pacific hydrographic data along 30N (WHP line P2) to produce an estimate of the net meridional heat transport of the mid-latitude North Pacific.

The current meter moorings were installed in October 1993. They were replaced during September 1994 and finally recovered in November 1995. All of the moorings were instrumented with Aanderaa RCM7 and RCM8 current meters. Two of the moorings carried upward-looking ADCP's. (The ADCP data were not furnished to CMDAC and are not present here.)

Related publications

Imawaki, S. et al (1997): Time series of the Kuroshio transport derived from field observations and altimetry data. International WOCE Newsletter #25, February 1997, pp 15-18.

Imawaki, S. et al (1998): Estimates of transport of the Kuroshio off Shikoku. Bulletin of the Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University #82, pp 97-112 (in Japanese).

Kashima, M. et al (2000): Velocity fluctuations around the inertial frequency in the Kuroshio and its recirculation regions south of Japan. Bulletin of the Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University #117, pp 71-77 (in Japanese).

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netCDF is a self-documenting format that can be accessed by a variety of software tools. We have included here a Matlab script that can be used to read netCDF current records in an environment that contains the Matlab/netCDF interface created by CSIRO. You can Click here to learn more about netCDF.

We are aware that users who are unfamiliar with netCDF or who lack software to deal with it, may find the netCDF format more a deterrent than an aid to effective use of the data. We have included in this CDROM set a second disk that is identical to this one, except that the current meter records have OSU's "Stranger" format. The Stranger format, like netCDF, is self-documenting but utilizes the ASCII code. It is easily readable by both humans and computers; you may find it preferable to netCDF.

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