1. Decadal variability Qiu and Chen, 2005 KE is characterized by the presence of two quasi-stationary meanders at 144° and 155°E Up and downstream jets

2. Decadal variability Qiu and Chen, 2005 Can the observed decadal variability be explained by the forcing of the large-scale wind stress field?

3. Decadal variability 1 ½ layer reduced gravity model for the ocean response to surface wind forcing

4. Data from OFES

5. SSH EOF’s 1 & 2 OFESOFES ROMSROMS

6. SSH PCs 1 & 2 from OFES

7. Regression maps SSH

8. Regression maps SST

9. Regression maps (lags) SSH – PC 1

10. Regression maps (lags) SST – PC 1

11. Regression maps (lags) SSH – PC 2 Propagation of SSH anomalies in the SW direction

12. Regression maps (lags) SST – PC 2

13. Zonal SSH EOFs SSH average zonally between 142°E-180° EOF 1: 52.98% EOF 2: 17.96% Taguchi et al, 2007 The second mode tracks very well with the strength of the KE jet The first mode represents a north- south shift of the KE jet

14. Lag correlation between NPGO index and Kuroshio zonal PC2 Strength of Kuroshio (Taguchi et al. 2007; Qiu et al., 2005) Isolated as the zonal PC 2 of SSHa field between 142-180E

15. NCEP wind stress curl vs NPGO

16. NCEP wind stress curl vs PDO

17. KOE SST index KOE SST index Qiu et al, 2007

19. GFDL SSHA EOFs

20. Regression maps (lags) SSH – PC 2

21. Zonal modes of KOE