Seasonal variability of the bifurcation of the North Equatorial Current

Seasonal variability of the bifurcation of the North Equatorial Current (NEC) is studied by constructing the analytic solution for the time-dependent horizontal linear shallow water quasi-geostrophic equations. Using the Florida State University wind data from 1961 through 1992, we find that the bifurcation latitude of the NEC changes with seasons. Furthermore, it is shown that the NEC bifurcation is at its southernmost latitude (12.7°N) in June and the northernmost latitude (14.4° N) in November.