WANG Hui, WANG Dakui, LIU Guimei, WU Huiding, LI Ming. Seasonal variation of eddy kinetic energy in the South China Sea[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2012, (1): 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s13131-012-0170-7
Citation:
WANG Hui, WANG Dakui, LIU Guimei, WU Huiding, LI Ming. Seasonal variation of eddy kinetic energy in the South China Sea[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2012, (1): 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s13131-012-0170-7
WANG Hui, WANG Dakui, LIU Guimei, WU Huiding, LI Ming. Seasonal variation of eddy kinetic energy in the South China Sea[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2012, (1): 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s13131-012-0170-7
Citation:
WANG Hui, WANG Dakui, LIU Guimei, WU Huiding, LI Ming. Seasonal variation of eddy kinetic energy in the South China Sea[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2012, (1): 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s13131-012-0170-7
College of Environment Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China;Key Laboratory of Research on Marine Hazards Forecasting, National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center, State Oceanic Administration, Beijing 100081, China
2.
Physical Oceanography Laboratory, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China;Key Laboratory of Research on Marine Hazards Forecasting, National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center, State Oceanic Administration, Beijing 100081, China;Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, Maryland 21613, USA
3.
Key Laboratory of Research on Marine Hazards Forecasting, National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center, State Oceanic Administration, Beijing 100081, China
4.
Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, Maryland 21613, USA
Mesoscale eddy activity and its modulation mechanism in the South China Sea (SCS) are investigated with newly reprocessed satellite altimetry observations and hydrographic data. The eddy kinetic energy (EKE) level of basin-wide averages show a distinct seasonal cycle with the maximum in August-December and the minimum in February-May. Furthermore, the seasonal pattern of EKE in the basin is dominated by region offshore of central Vietnam (OCV), southwest of Taiwan Island (SWT), and southwest of Luzon (SWL), which are also the breeding grounds of mesoscale eddies in the SCS. Instability theory analysis suggests that the seasonal cycle of EKE is modulated by the baroclinic instability of the mean flow. High eddy growth rate (EGR) is found in the active eddy regions. Vertical velocity shear in the upper 50-500 m is crucial for the growth of baroclinic instability, leading to seasonal EKE evolution in the SCS.
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