Horizontal distributions of terms in the depth-averaged vorticity equation (s в€’2) from the NO-ADV experiment: (a) advection of background PV, and (b) JEBAR, and (c) bottom pressure torque divided by the total water depth. Mean temperatures (color вЊ) and velocity vectors (black arrows) in February from the NO-ADV experiment at (a) 0, (b) 100, and (c) 200 m. Black curves in each panel are the 100-, 200-, 500-, and 1000-m isobaths. Each term is divided by the total water depth. Horizontal distributions of terms in the depth-integrated vorticity equation (s в€’2): (a) bottom vortex stretching of ageostrophic current, (b) bottom vortex stretching of geostrophic current, and (c) total bottom vortex stretching. (top) Tntegration over the upper 100 m, and (bottom) integration from 100 m to the bottom. Terms in the layer-averaged vorticity balance (s в€’2): (a),(d) divergence, (b),(e) nonlinear, and (c),(f) dissipation. Vertical profiles of the area-averaged 3D vorticity balance in water depths of (a) 140, (b) 180, and (c) 220 m: nonlinear, divergence, and dissipation. Vertical profiles of the area-averaged vertical velocity in water depths of (a) 140, (b) 180, and (c) 220 m. Horizontal distributions of terms in the depth-integrated vorticity equation (s в€’2): (a) the advection term, (b) torque of surface minus bottom stress, and (c) bottom pressure torque.

Horizontal distributions of terms in the depth-averaged vorticity equation (s в€’2): (a) advection of background PV, (b) advection of relative PV, (c) JEBAR, (d) curl of depth-distributed surface stress, (e) curl of depth-distributed bottom stress, and (f) difference between JEBAR and background PV advection.

Horizontal distributions of terms in the depth-averaged momentum equation (m s в€’2): (a) ageostrophic pressure gradient, (b) advection, (c) surface stress, and (d) bottom stress. 7 and 8 for vertical profiles of vertical velocity and vorticity balance. Mean vertical velocity distributions (m s в€’1) in February at (a) 50, (b) 100, and (c) 200 m. Mean temperatures (color вЊ) and velocity vectors (black arrows) in February at (a) 0, (b) 100, and (c) 200 m.

The topography data are from ETOPO2 ( National Geophysical Data Center 2006 ). The black box shown in (a) is the study region. (a) Geography of the northwestern Pacific Ocean and (b) topography of the study region.

Steep gradient