Numerical Modeling of the Cross-Section Structure of the Subarctic/Subtropical Boundary in the North Pacific

T. R. Kil’matov

A simple variational model of the zonal region between waters has been developed with a specified density gradient and a convergence zone. An approximate analytical solution has been constructed. The boundary between waters is shown to divide into two fronts, a convergence front and a density front. The density front should be shifted equatorward relative to the convergence axis. Such a structure corresponds to the subarctic/subtropical boundary in the Pacific Ocean: the subarctic front and the Kuroshio Extension front that goes into the North Pacific Current.