national and international collaboration, and this workshop has provided a good opportunity to exchange ideas and find a direction to enhance the collaboration.
1. Current status of observational and numerical studies at JAMSTEC
1.1 Research activities in the tropical Pacific Ocean
Variability of the warm pool affects on the global climate including ENSO. We have conducted oceanic observations in the warm pool region to understand the mechanism of accumulation and dissipation processes. To accomplish this objective we have two cruises a year in the western tropical Pacific Ocean for conducting the measurements of CTD, ADCP, upper air sounding and deploying subsurface ADCP moorings in the Tropical Ocean Climate Study (TOCS) program of JAMSTEC. We have collaborated with the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, NOAA, USA in maintaining the TAO buoy array, and with BPPT, Indonesia conducting joint cruises in the Indonesian EEZ. In the collaboration with scientists of Climate Research Division of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, we have started numerical simulation of the tropical Pacific, Indo-Pacific and global oceans using the isopycnal coordinate ocean General Circulation Model developed by Prof. Oberhuber of the Max-Plank Institute of Meteorology. We are now running the Indo-Pacific ocean model and global ocean model in order to simulate Indonesian Throughflow and warm water pool variability in the western tropical Pacific Ocean.
1.2 Research activities in the region of the subtropical gyre
This research is being conducted to determine the fluctuation mechanism of the subtropical gyre (including the Kuroshio, meso-scale eddies and recirculations south of Japan) and to study the interaction between the subtropical and tropical circulations in the North Pacific. We are working jointly with the Hydrographic Department of the Maritime Safety Agency, the Japan Meteorological Agency and Fisheries Agency in the Kuroshio Exploitation and Utilization Research program (KER).We have conducted mooring array measurements in the Tokara strait south of Kyushu and hydrographic observations to estimate the volume transport of the Kuroshio.
1.3 Research activities in the Subarctic North Pacific Ocean
The Subarctic North Pacific and Arctic waters are major sources of cold temperature in the heat circulation process and play a very important role in the global environment. We are conducting observations and research for determining the heat exchange between the North Pacific and Bering Seas, heat circulation in the subtropical zone, and the interaction between the atmosphere and the ocean.
1.4 Research activities in the Arctic Ocean
The Science and Technology Agency of Japan took the leadership in a five year Arctic Study
