Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Possible gyre–gyre interaction in the Pacific Ocean

Nature volume 309, pages 538–540 (1984)Cite this article

Abstract

The subtropical anticyclonic gyres of the North and South Pacific Ocean are among the largest circulation systems found in the ocean. The gyres contain the warm waters of the warm water sphere1,2, and the rotation of these water masses is subject to low-frequency variations3. The presence in these gyres of baroclinic Rossby waves with periods of many years has been documented4,5 and this seems to be sufficient proof that the gyres undergo vacillations. Using sea-level data we demonstrate here that the subtropical gyres of the North and South Pacific oscillate with a period of about 4 years and that these oscillations are probably induced by the major El Niño events.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wust, G. Kieler Meeresforsch. 7, 24–34 (1950).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Reid, J. L. The Johns Hopkins Oceanographie Studies No. 2, 85–85 (1965).

  3. White, W. B. J. mar. Res. 33, 141–155 (1975); 35, 587–607 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Magaard, L. J. phys. Oceanogr. 13, 38–42 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. White, W. B. J. mar. Res. 41, 113–125 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Pattullo, J., Munk, W., Revelle, R. & Strong, E. J. mar. Res. 14, 88–155 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bye, J. A. T. & Gordon, A. H. Nature 296, 52–54 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Wyrtki, K. EOS 60, 25–27 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kutzbach, J. J. appl. Met. 6, 791–802 (1967).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. McCreary, J. P. thesis, Univ. California, San Diego (1977).

  11. Wyrtki, K. Trop. Ocean-Atmos. 23, 14–15 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oceanography, Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA

    Klaus Wyrtki & Jan Wenzel

Authors
  1. Klaus Wyrtki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jan Wenzel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wyrtki, K., Wenzel, J. Possible gyre–gyre interaction in the Pacific Ocean. Nature 309, 538–540 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/309538a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/309538a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing