ENSO sensitive ITF and Kuroshio

In 2008/09 the profile of the Makassar Strait throughflow, ~80% of the total ITF, changed dramatically: the characteristic thermocline velocity maximum increased from 0.7 to 0.9 m/sec and shifted from 140 m to 70 m. ENSO induced change of the South China Sea (SCS) throughflow draw from the Luzon Strait is the likely cause. Increased westward Luzon Strait throughflow during El Niño forced buoyant SCS surface water into the northern Makassar Strait, inhibiting tropical Pacific surface water injection from the Mindanao Retroflection into Makassar throughflow; during La Niña SCS throughflow is reduced to near zero, allowing increased surface water leakage from the Mindanao Retroflection. Research cruises in May/June 2011 and April/May 2012 along the eastern coast of Luzon suggest a related ENSO impact on the nascent Kuroshio transport. During La Niña there is greater injection of tropical Pacific water from the North Equatorial Current Bifurcation into the Kuroshio, which as the Luzon Strait westward La Niña throughflow is near zero, is free to fully project in the Kuroshio recirculation cell of the western subtropical North Pacific. During El Niño the Kuroshio recirculation cell is 'isolated' from the NEC. The Kuroshio transport off the northeastern coast of Luzon is ~60% greater during the La Niña phase than in the more neutral ENSO phase of 2011 (and presumably even larger than for a fully developed El Niño). During El Niño the increased western throughflow in Luzon Strait drains the Kuroshio recirculation gyre waters, thus exporting the accumulated NEC additions during the previous La Niña phase. The Mindanao Current transport is expected to be out-of-phase with the ENSO sensitive nascent Kuroshio. The connectivity of the ITF and Kuroshio with ENSO is multifaceted.