Mindanao Current

The Mindanao Current (MC) is a southward current in the western Pacific Ocean that transports mass and freshwater between ocean basins. It is a low-latitude western boundary current that follows the eastern coast of the Philippine island group and its namesake, Mindanao. The MC forms from the North Equatorial Current (NEC) that flows from east to west between 10-20°N. As it travels west, the NEC reaches its western limit: the coast of the Philippines.^[1] Once it encounters shallower waters near land, it “splits” into two branches: one moves northward and becomes the Kuroshio current and one moves southward and becomes the Mindanao Current.^[2] The process of splitting is called a bifurcation.

The Mindanao Current flows towards the equator and is most intense near the surface, reaching maximum speeds of ${\displaystyle 1.3}$ ${\displaystyle ms^{-1}}$.^[3] It can be observed until depths of ${\displaystyle 1000}$ ${\displaystyle m}$ near the Philippine coast and extends until ${\displaystyle 350}$ ${\displaystyle km}$ offshore. The MC transports climatic signals and in doing so, influences the regional climate and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).^[2] Overall, the Mindanao Current is critical in the circulation within the whole Pacific basin. However, in comparison with other boundary currents in the North Pacific, the Mindanao Current has received limited attention and therefore little is known about it.^[4]