Strain Evolution and Instability of an Anticyclonic Eddy From a Laboratory Experiment

Han, Guoqing; Yang, Jianguo; Sommeria, Joël; Stegner, Alexandre; Caldeira, Rui

doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.645531

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Eddy merging plays a significant role in cross-scale energy transfer and the marine ecological environment [19,20]. Meanwhile, the process of eddy merging has important implications for the dynamics of eddy pairs [21,22], the non-linear equilibrium [23], and the life span of eddies [24]. Zhai et al [25] simulated a large number of westward-propagating eddies in the ocean and found that eddy merging can cascade energy to larger scales, eventually dissipating at the western boundary.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Mesoscale Eddy Merging in the Subtropical Northwest Pacific Using Satellite Remote Sensing Data

Fu,

Dong,

Dong

et al. 2023

Remote Sensing

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Mesoscale eddies are ubiquitous in the ocean, yet our understanding of their evolutions, particularly eddy merging processes, remains enigmatic. In this study, the merging processes of two cyclonic–cyclonic and two anticyclonic–anticyclonic eddies are analyzed in the Subtropical Northwest Pacific using satellite remote sensing altimetry data. The results reveal that, as eddies approach each other, their contours become connected, leading to the formation of multi-core eddies. Simultaneously, the merging process prompts substantial exchanges of energy and vorticity, resulting in the dissipation of one eddy and the emergence of a more extensive merged eddy. Throughout the merging process, the eddy contours elongate upwards along the centerline (the line connecting eddy centers) and there are distinct changes in both the horizontal and vertical morphology of the eddies. Notably, after the merging, the eddies distinctly exhibit intensified signals of sea surface temperature and vertical temperature anomaly, an outcome of their transformative fusion. The findings of this study significantly enhance our understanding of mesoscale eddy dynamics, particularly in the intricate eddy merging process. However, it is important to note that, due to limitations in vertical observational data, this study does not provide a quantitative portrayal of the vertical mechanisms of eddy merging, which also underscores a pivotal avenue for future research in the field.

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