Ocean transport monitoring in the beginning region of the Kuroshio using OKITAI and OLU submarine cables

Both the OKITAI (Okinawa-Taiwan) and the OLU (Okinawa-Luzon) cable voltages are measured to monitor the Kuroshio transport near the entrance into the East China Sea. The 10-days low passed OKITAI cable voltage (data period Jun. 1998-Dec. 2001) is well correlated with the 10-days low passed sea level difference between Suao (northeast coast of Taiwan) and Ishigaki Island at the entrance into the East China Sea (corr coeff. = 0.48). The formula to estimate the Kuroshio transport based on the OKITAI cable voltage is derived, assuming the standard deviation of the cable estimated transport is equal to that of the sea level estimated transport (Yang et al., 2001). [Cable estimated transport](Sv) = A0 + A1 /spl times/ [cable voltage](Volt), where A0 = 20.87 (Sv) and A1 = 53.69(Sv/Volt). The formula is consistent with our 4 days´ ship-boarded ADCP current observation crossing the Kuroshio along and near the OKITAI cable (R/V Hakuho-maru, Sep. 2000; KH-00-4 cruise).