Statistical analysis of mesoscale eddy propagation velocity in the South China Sea deep basin

Runqi Huang; Lingling Xie; Quanan Zheng; Mingming Li; Peng Bai; Keyi Tan

doi:10.1007/s13131-020-1678-x

Volume 39 Issue 11

Dec. 2020

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Runqi Huang, Lingling Xie, Quanan Zheng, Mingming Li, Peng Bai, Keyi Tan. Statistical analysis of mesoscale eddy propagation velocity in the South China Sea deep basin[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2020, 39(11): 91-102. doi: 10.1007/s13131-020-1678-x

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Runqi Huang, Lingling Xie, Quanan Zheng, Mingming Li, Peng Bai, Keyi Tan. Statistical analysis of mesoscale eddy propagation velocity in the South China Sea deep basin[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2020, 39(11): 91-102. doi: 10.1007/s13131-020-1678-x

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Statistical analysis of mesoscale eddy propagation velocity in the South China Sea deep basin

doi: 10.1007/s13131-020-1678-x

Runqi Huang¹,
Lingling Xie^{1, 2
,
,},
Quanan Zheng³,
Mingming Li^{1, 2},
Peng Bai^{1, 2},
Keyi Tan¹

1.
Laboratory of Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
2.
Marine Resources Big Data Center of South China Sea, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Zhanjiang 524025, China
3.
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA

Funds: The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 41776034 and 41706025; the Fund of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang) under contract No. ZJW-2019-08; the Special Project of Global Change and Air and Sea Interaction under contract No. GASI-02-SCS-YGST2-02; the Guangdong Province First-Class Discipline Plan under contract Nos CYL231419012 and 231389002; the Scientific Research Setup Fund of Guangdong Ocean University under contract No.101302/R18001.

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail: xiell@gdou.edu.cn
Received Date: 2020-06-15
Accepted Date: 2020-08-10

Available Online: 2020-12-28

Publish Date: 2020-11-25

Abstract

Abstract

Using mesoscale eddy trajectory product derived from satellite altimetry data from 1993 to 2017, this study analyzes the statistical characteristics of spatiotemporal distribution of mesoscale eddy propagation velocities ( C ) in the South China Sea (SCS) deep basin with depths >1 000 m. Climatologically, the zonal propagation velocities (c_x) are westwards in the whole basin, and the meridional velocities (c_y) are southwards in the northwestern basin, and northwards in the southeastern basin. The variation of c_y with longitude is consistent with that of the background meridional currents with correlation coefficient R² of 0.96, while the variation of c_x is related both to the background zonal currents and β effect. The propagation velocities characterize significant seasonality with the minimum magnitude occurring in summer and the maximum in winter for c_x and C . Interannually, larger values of c_x and c_y mostly occurred in La Niña years in the negative phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Mesoscale eddies move fast at the beginning and end of their life span, i.e., at their growth and dissipation periods, and slowly during their stable “midlife” period. This trend is negatively correlated with the rotating tangential velocity with R² of –0.93. Eddies with extreme propagation velocities are defined, which are slower (faster) than 1.5 cm/s (15.4 cm/s) and take 1.5% (1.9%) of the total eddies. The extremely slow-moving (fast-moving) eddies tend to appear in the middle (on the edge) of the basin, and mostly occur in summer (winter). The mechanism analysis reveals that the spatiotemporal distributions of the propagation velocities of mesoscale eddies in the SCS are modulated by the basin-scale background circulation.
- South China Sea,
- mesoscale eddies,
- eddy propagation velocity,
- variation in life span,
- eddies with abnormal speeds

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References(57)

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