Formation region of North Pacific subtropical mode water in the late winter of 2003

The mixed layer structure and properties in the formation region of the North Pacific Subtropical Mode Water (STMW) east of Japan in the late winter of 2003 were examined using temperature and salinity data primarily from Argo profiling floats. The formation region extends south of the Kuroshio Extension, between 30degreesN and 35degreesN and as far east as 175degreesE. It is characterized by a mixed layer with depths greater than 200db and meridionally uniform temperature between 16.5degreesC and 18.2degreesC, associated with a mixed layer front at its southern edge. The mixed layer in the formation region becomes colder, fresher, and denser toward the east, leading to the formation of warmer, saltier, and lighter STMW in the western part of the region. The spatial variation of the mixed layer depth in the formation region corresponds well with the underlying permanent thermocline depth.