Mesoscale eddies in the northwestern subtropical Pacific Ocean: Statistical characteristics and three‐dimensional structures

Yang, Guang; Wang, Fan; Li, Yuanlong; Lin, Pengfei

doi:10.1002/jgrc.20164

Cited by 168 publications

(174 citation statements)

References 82 publications

(195 reference statements)

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“…Although CEs and AEs can be described by their mean vertical structure [Chaigneau et al, 2011;Kurian et al, 2011;Yang et al, 2013;Castelao, 2014], different eddy types can coexist in each region (e.g., surface or subsurface-intensified, multicores eddies, etc) and thus influence the shape of the mean vertical structure. In order to determine the main eddy-types observed in each EBUS, we applied the following procedure.…”

Section: Clustering Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the opportunity to investigate the subsurface physical characteristics of the eddies from Argo float data [Chaigneau et al, 2011;Liu et al, 2012;Yang et al, 2013;Castelao, 2014], we analyze, classify and compare the eddy vertical structures in the 4 EBUS from altimetry maps and Argo profiles. In particular, as the 4 EBUS share similar large-scale dynamics, we aim to examine whether the mean eddy vertical thermohaline structures are also similar in the 4 EBUS.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Main eddy vertical structures observed in the four major Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems

2015

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In the four major Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS), mesoscale eddies are known to modulate the biological productivity and transport near‐coastal seawater properties toward the offshore ocean, however little is known about their main characteristics and vertical structure. This study combines 10 years of satellite‐altimetry data and Argo float profiles of temperature and salinity, and our main goals are (i) to describe the main surface characteristics of long‐lived eddies formed in each EBUS and their evolution, and (ii) to depict the main vertical structure of the eddy‐types that coexist in these regions. A clustering analysis of the Argo profiles surfacing within the long‐lived eddies of each EBUS allows us to determine the proportion of surface and subsurface‐intensified eddies in each region, and to describe their vertical structure in terms of temperature, salinity and dynamic height anomalies. In the Peru‐Chile Upwelling System, 55% of the sampled anticyclonic eddies (AEs) have subsurface‐intensified maximum temperature and salinity anomalies below the seasonal pycnocline, whereas 88% of the cyclonic eddies (CEs) are surface‐intensified. In the California Upwelling System, only 30% of the AEs are subsurface‐intensified and all of the CEs show maximum anomalies above the pycnocline. In the Canary Upwelling System, ∼40% of the AEs and ∼60% of the CEs are subsurface‐intensified with maximum anomalies extending down to 800 m depth. Finally, the Benguela Upwelling System tends to generate ∼40–50% of weak surface‐intensified eddies and ∼50–60% of much stronger subsurface‐intensified eddies with a clear geographical distribution. The mechanisms involved in the observed eddy vertical shapes are discussed.

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Section: Clustering Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Main eddy vertical structures observed in the four major Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems

2015

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“…Statistical analyses based on satellite altimeter data show that northwestern Pacific Ocean is a region with a high probability of surface eddy occurrence [27,28]. Surface eddy occurrence frequency and kinetic energy are prevailingly high in the Kuroshio Extension region east of Japan and in the Subtropical Countercurrent zonal band [27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Surface eddy occurrence frequency and kinetic energy are prevailingly high in the Kuroshio Extension region east of Japan and in the Subtropical Countercurrent zonal band [27]. However, subsurface eddy is poorly understood in this region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Observations of an Extra-Large Subsurface Anticyclonic Eddy in the Northwestern Pacific Subtropical Gyre

Nan¹,

Yu²,

Wei³

et al. 2017

J Marine Sci Res Dev

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An extra-large subsurface anticyclonic eddy (SAE) with horizontal scale of 470 km was detected in the northwestern Pacific subtropical gyre by in situ measurements in October 2014. The SAE exhibited a lens-shaped vertical structure with shoaling of the seasonal thermocline and deepening of the main thermocline. Consequently, the water in the eddy core was colder above 200 m and warmer below 200 m than the surrounding waters with maximum temperature anomalies of -1.2°C and 3.5°C located at ~100 m and ~450 m depths, respectively. The central water mass of the SAE was characterized as low potential vorticity water, i.e., the north Pacific Subtropical Mode Water (STMW). Swirl velocity of the SAE was directly observed by ship-mounted ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers). The maximum azimuthal velocity reached 0.35 ms -1 near a 110 km radius at ~ 200 m depth, which was comparable with the maximum velocity of the northward Kuroshio east of Taiwan at the same depth. Threedimensional structure and evolutionary process of the SAE were also presented using Argo float profile data as well as the satellite altimeter data. The results indicated that the SAE was generated in the region of the STMW in February, then propagated westward over 1500 km at a mean speed of ~0.06 ms -1 and finally disappeared east of Taiwan in December, transporting ~0.5 Sv (Sv=10 6 m 3 s -1 ) STMW..

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“…Many studies have shown that eddies are more of a subsurface phenomenon [26][27][28][29][30]. Therefore, eddy signals may disappear from the surface, leading to eddy tracking uncertainties.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Improved Automatic Algorithm for Global Eddy Tracking Using Satellite Altimeter Data

et al. 2017

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Abstract:In this paper, we propose a new hybrid mesoscale eddy tracking method to enhance the eddy tracking accuracy from global satellite altimeter data. This method integrates both physical and geometric eddy properties (including the distance between eddies, the area and amplitude of eddy, and the shape of the eddy edge) via the output of detection and the calculation of Hausdorff distance, which could describe the similarity between eddy boundaries. We applied the proposed hybrid method to several previously reported eddies and compared the results with those from two traditional tracking methods. A quantitative comparison indicates that the hybrid algorithm can better reveal eddy signals in terms of their spatial scale, amplitude, lifespan, and splitting. The hybrid method was used for global mesoscale eddies tracking from 1993 to 2015. Global distributions of net eddy numbers revealed that the sources of eddies are located along the eastern boundaries of the world oceans, while the sinks of eddies are located along the western boundaries. The lifespan distribution of eddies exhibited steep growth from high and low latitudes to middle latitudes. A clear divergent pathway demonstrates that cyclonic/anticyclonic eddies tend to travel poleward/equatorward in the world oceans.

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Mesoscale eddies in the northwestern subtropical Pacific Ocean: Statistical characteristics and three‐dimensional structures

Cited by 168 publications

References 82 publications

Main eddy vertical structures observed in the four major Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems

Main eddy vertical structures observed in the four major Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems

Observations of an Extra-Large Subsurface Anticyclonic Eddy in the Northwestern Pacific Subtropical Gyre

An Improved Automatic Algorithm for Global Eddy Tracking Using Satellite Altimeter Data

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