Observed Changes in the Kuroshio Extension and Gulf Stream Based on Surface Drifter and OSCAR

Gong, Wenhao, Zheng, Yuhang ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6369-1627, Wang, Minyang, Wu, Wei, Zhang, Yuhong, Chen, Zesheng and Du, Yan (2026) Observed Changes in the Kuroshio Extension and Gulf Stream Based on Surface Drifter and OSCAR. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 131 (6). ISSN 2169-9275

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Abstract

A primary challenge in assessing ocean circulation changes remains the scarcity of in situ current observations. By integrating drifter-derived data with satellite-derived surface currents, this study provides the first direct observational characterization of surface current variability of the Kuroshio Extension (KE) and Gulf Stream (GS) from 1998 to 2023. The KE and the GS systems exhibit consistent decadal variability, with the signal amplitude surpassing their long-term trends during this period. The analysis suggests that North Atlantic Mid-latitude (NAM) sea surface temperature (SST) variations may, through associated atmospheric teleconnections, modulate wind stress curl field over the North Pacific subtropical gyre, and subsequently influence the intensity of the KE current strength. In contrast, GS variations are primarily driven directly by changes in the vertically integrated temperature and are nearly synchronous with local SST changes. In addition to intensity variations, both the KE and GS have undergone significant wind-driven poleward migrations, with the GS additionally experiencing a distinct onshore displacement. The main current axes exhibit more pronounced poleward shifts during periods of decadal velocity intensification (2011–2023). These findings strengthen our understanding of recent changes in surface currents and provide observational constraints for modeling the response of ocean circulation to climate change.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Data Availability Statement: Drifter data from the GDP are available in (Lumpkin & Centurioni, 2019). OSCAR data are available in (Dohan, 2021). Wind data from ERA5 are available in (Hersbach et al., 2023). Ocean temperature from IAP is available in (Cheng et al., 2024). Sea surface height Anomaly data from AVISO are available at https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00148. Temperature and salinity data in the upper 2000 m of the ocean from GLORYS12V1 are available in (Jean-Michel et al., 2021).
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	17 Jun 2026 14:34
Last Modified:	18 Jun 2026 21:01
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/103423
DOI:	10.1029/2026JC024135

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