Eddy activity in the lee of the Hawaiian Islands

Persistent northeasterly trade winds have a substantial impact on the oceanic circulation around the Hawaiian Islands. A regional ocean model is applied to understand the effect of different temporal and spatial resolutions of surface momentum forcing on the formation of strong mesoscale vortices and on the simulation of realistic levels of eddy kinetic energy. The higher spatial and temporal resolutions of wind forcing is shown to substantially affect the vorticity and deformation field in the immediate lee of the Hawaiian Islands and produce patterns of eddy kinetic energy similar to observations. This suggests that the surface eddy field in the region is mostly dominated by the local surface momentum forcing. Mesoscale cyclones and anticyclones formed in the lee of the Island of Hawaii are shown to have different propagation patterns. Mesoscale cyclones are more confined to the lee and are hence subject to interactions with the strong wind forcing and deformation field as well as smaller vortices formed in the wake of the other islands. Mesoscale anticyclones show not only a tendency to propagate further westward, but also to persist as coherent features as they propagate, even at relatively lower values of relative vorticity. The large strain rates that affect the propagation of the cyclones cause them to break down into filaments of positive vorticity. Rossby numbers of O(1) within vortices and filaments indicate that nonlinear interactions between the wind stress and the vertical component of the relative vorticity field is potentially important in producing large vertical velocities. Modeled cyclonic eddies show a good resemblance to observations both in terms of vertical structure and propagation patterns.     

An offshore eddy in the California current system part II: Surface manifestation

Ship and satellite observations taken over the last thirty years show that mesoscale patterns of sea surface temperature (SST) in the California Current System are consistently found throughout the year and usually occur in approximately the same geographical locations. Typically, these patterns are more pronounced in fall/winter than in spring/summer. The temporal and spatial characteristics of these persistent feature were examined with satellite infrared (IR) measurements during winter 1980–1981. In January 1981, a ship surveyed the vertical structure of several physical, chemical, and biological parameters beneath one of these SST features centered near 32°N, 124°W. The surface IR pattern had a length scale of 200 km and a time scale of about 100 days. It disintegrated following the first two storms of the winter season. Motion studies of the pattern in late October indicated an anticyclonic rotation with maximum velocities of 50 cm s^?1 at 50 km from the axis of rotation. As a unit, the pattern advected southward with an average speed of 1 cm s^?1. Thermal fronts, determined from the satellite imagery, were strongest (0.4°C km^?1) along the rim of the pattern and were advected anticyclonically with the pattern; their length scales were 20–30 km in the along-front direction and less than 10 km wide. The hydrographic data revealed a three-layer structure beneath the surface pattern; a 75 m deep surface layer, a cold-core region from 75 to 200 m depth, and a warm-core eddy extending from 250 to 1450 m. The anticyclonic motion of the surface layer was caused by a geostrophic adjustment to the surface dynamic height anomaly produced by the subsurface warm-core eddy. The IR pattern observed from space reflects the horizontal structure of the surface layer and is consistent with a theoretical model of a mean horizontal SST gradient perturbed by a subsurface density anomaly. Ship of opportunity SST observations collected by the National Marine Fisheries are shown to resolve mesoscale patterns. For December 1980, the SST pattern near 32°N, 124°W represented a 2°C warm anomaly compared with the 20-year mean monthly SST pattern.     

Enhanced chlorophyll associated with island-induced cyclonic eddies in the eastern channel of the Tsushima Straits

The relationship between island-induced cyclonic eddies and chlorophyll a (chl-a) was investigated using field data and satellite images in the eastern channel of the Tsushima Straits. The maximum chl-a concentration around the leeward eddy of the Tsushima Islands was two or three times greater than that of outside the eddy. Two different mechanisms of chl-a enhancement associated with island-induced cyclonic eddies were found in the post-bloom periods. In summer, when nutrients were depleted in the surface layer, eddy pumping increased the nutrient supply in the euphotic zone, resulting in enhanced chl-a around the shallow thermocline near the eddy core. In late autumn, when the mixed layer deepened over the euphotic zone, the mixed layer depth became shallow due to the doming effect of the cyclonic eddy, therefore, the improved irradiance condition led to an increase in the chl-a concentration in the surface mixed layer. Nighttime satellite visible images showed a number of fishing vessels in the lee region of the Tsushima Islands, implying that the enhanced phytoplankton biomass may have resulted in good feeding conditions for fishes and squids in the Tsushima Straits.     

Antarctic Intermediate Water variability in the northern New Zealand region

In the region between 30°S and northern New Zealand, vertical salinity profiles through the core of the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) show a high degree of spatial and temporal variability, and this variability is much larger than that found in nearby ocean areas. Characteristic features are interleaving of salinity layers and large changes in the salinity minimum between adjacent stations. Quantifying the changes through the calculation of an intrusion index highlights the degree of variability and the importance of boundary mixing along the New Zealand slope. However, the main cause of the variability is the meeting and mixing of higher salinity AAIW, arriving from the north‐west (having travelled around the subtropical gyre) with lower salinity AAIW arriving by more direct entry from the north‐east. These waters meet in the region through the action of the meso‐scale eddy field. Present data indicate that where strong salinity interleaving occurs, the length scales are of the order of 10 km and the time scales are of the order of a few days. Resolution of the processes at work will require studies on finer scales than presently available.     

Diatoms in the desert: Plankton community response to a mesoscale eddy in the subtropical North Pacific

As part of the E-Flux project, we documented spatial variability and temporal changes in plankton community structure in a cold-core cyclonic eddy in the lee of the Hawaiian Islands. Cyclone Opal spanned 200 km in diameter, with sharply uplifted isopycnals (80–100 m relative to surrounding waters) and a strongly expressed deep chlorophyll a maximum (DCM) in its central core region of 40 km diameter. Microscopic and flow cytometric analyses of samples from across the eddy revealed dramatic transitions in phytoplankton community structure, reflecting Opal's well-developed physical structure. Upper mixed-layer populations in the eddy resembled those outside the eddy and were dominated by picophytoplankton. In contrast, the DCM was composed of large chain-forming diatoms dominated by Chaetoceros and Rhizosolenia spp. Diatoms attained unprecedented levels of biomass (nearly 90 μg C l⁻¹) in the center of the eddy, accounting for 85% of photosynthetic biomass. Protozoan grazers displayed two- to three-fold higher biomass levels in the eddy center as well. We also found a distinct and persistent layer of senescent diatom cells overlying healthy populations, often separated by less than 10 m, indicating that we were sampling a bloom in a state of decline. Time-series sampling over 8 days showed a successional shift in community structure within the central diatom bloom, from the unexpected large chain-forming species to smaller forms more typical of the subtropical North Pacific. The diatom bloom of Cyclone Opal was a unique, and possibly extreme, example of biological response to physical forcing in the North Pacific subtropical gyre, and its detailed study may therefore help to improve our predictive understanding of environmental controls on plankton community structure.     

Hawaii Cyclonic Eddies and Blue Marlin Catches: The Case Study of the 1995 Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament

The combination of prevailing northeasterly tradewinds and island topography results in the formation of vigorous, westward propagating cyclonic eddies in the lee of the Hawaiian Islands on time scales of 50–70 days. These mesoscale (∼10² km) features are nowhere more conspicuous or spin up more frequently than in the Alenuihaha Channel between the Island of Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii. Cyclonic eddies in subtropical waters such as those around Hawaii vertically displace the underlying nutricline into the overlying, nutrient-depleted euphotic zone creating localized biologically enhanced patches. Insight into how these eddies may directly influence pelagic fish distribution is provided by examination of recreational fish catch data coinciding with the presence of eddies on the fishing grounds. We highlight the 1995 Hawaii International Billfish Tournament in which a cyclonic eddy dominated the ocean conditions during the weeklong event and the fish catch distribution differed significantly from the average historical tournament catch patterns. On the tournament fishing grounds, well-mixed surface layers and strong current flows induced by the eddy's presence characterized the inshore waters where the highest catches of the prized Pacific blue marlin (Makaira mazara) occurred, suggesting possible direct (e.g., physiological limitations) or indirect (e.g., prey availability) biological responses of blue marlin to the prevailing environment. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Surface layer mixing during the SAGE ocean fertilization experiment

Vessel-based observations of the oceanic surface layer during the 14-day 2004 SAGE ocean fertilization experiment were conducted using ADCP, CTD and temperature microstructure in a frame of reference moving with a patch of injected SF₆ tracer. During the experiment the mixed layer depth z_mld ranged between 50 and 80 m, with several re-stratifying events that brought z_mld up to less than 40 m. These re-stratifying events were not directly attributable to local surface-down development of stratification and were more likely associated with horizontal variation in density structure. Comparison between the CTD and a one-dimensional model confirmed that the SAGE experiment was governed by 3-d processes. A new method for estimating z_mld was developed that incorporates a component that is proportional to density gradient. This highlighted the need for well-conditioned near-surface data which are not always available from vessel-based survey CTD profiles. A centred-displacement scale, L_c, equivalent to the Thorpe lengthscale, reached a maximum of 20 m, with the eddy-centroid located at around 40 m depth. Temperature gradient microstructure-derived estimates of the vertical turbulent eddy diffusivity of scalar (temperature) material yielded bin-averaged values around 10⁻³ m² s⁻¹ in the pycnocline rising to over 10⁻² m² s⁻¹ higher in the surface layer. This suggests transport rates of nitrate and silicate at the base of the surface layer generate mixed layer increases of the order of 38 and 13 mmol/m²/day, respectively, during SAGE. However, the variability in measured vertical transport processes highlights the importance of transient events like wind mixing and horizontal intrusions.     

中国近海及其附近海域若干涡旋研究综述Ⅱ.东海和琉球群岛以东海域

综述东海和琉球群岛以东海域若干气旋型和反气旋型涡旋的研究.对东海陆架、200m以浅海域,主要讨论了东海西南部反气旋涡、济州岛西南气旋式涡和长江口东北气旋式冷涡.东海两侧和陆坡附近出现了各种不同尺度的涡旋,其动力原因之一是与东海黑潮弯曲现象有很大关系,其次也与地形、琉球群岛存在等有关.东海黑潮有两种类型弯曲:黑潮锋弯曲和黑潮路径弯曲.黑潮第一种弯曲出现了锋面涡旋,评述了锋面涡旋的存在时间尺度与空间尺度和结构等;也指出了黑潮第二种弯曲,即路径弯曲时在其两侧出现了中尺度气旋式和反气旋涡,讨论了它们的变化的特性.特别讨论了冲绳北段黑潮弯曲路径和中尺度涡的相互作用,着重指出,当气旋式涡在冲绳海槽北段成长,并充分地发展,其周期约在1~3个月时,它的空间尺度成长到约为200km(此尺度相当于冲绳海槽的纬向尺度)时,黑潮路径从北段转移到南段.也分析了东海黑潮流量和其附近中尺度涡的相互作用.最后指出在琉球群岛以东、以南海域,经常出现各种不同的中尺度反气旋式和气旋式涡,讨论了它们在时间与空间尺度上变化的特征.     

Dynamics and role of the Durban cyclonic eddy in the KwaZulu-Natal Bight ecosystem

The semi-permanent Durban Eddy is a mesoscale, lee-trapped, cold-core cyclonic circulation that occurs off the east coast of South Africa between Durban in the north and Sezela, some 70 km to the south. When present, strong north-eastward countercurrents reaching 100 cm s^–1 are found inshore. It is hypothesised that the cyclone is driven by the strong south-westward flowing Agulhas Current offshore of the regressing shelf edge near Durban. Analysis of ADCP data and satellite imagery shows the eddy to be present off Durban approximately 55% of the time, with an average lifespan of 8.6 days, and inter-eddy periods of 4 to 8 days. After spin-up the eddy breaks loose from its lee position and propagates downstream on the inshore boundary of the Agulhas Current. The eddy is highly variable in occurrence, strength and downstream propagation speeds. There is no detectable seasonal cycle in eddy occurrence, with the Natal Pulse causing more variability than any seasonal signal. A thermistor array deployed in the eddy centre, together with ship CTD data, indicates upward doming of the thermal structure in the eddy core associated with cooler water and nutrients being moved higher in the water column, stimulating primary production. Together with the use of satellite imagery, our findings indicate a second mechanism of upwelling, viz. divergent upwelling in the northern limb of the eddy. Satellite-tracked surface drifters released in the eddy demonstrated the potential for nutrient-rich eddy water to be transported northwards along the inshore regions of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Bight, thus contributing to the functioning of the bight ecosystem, as well as southwards along the KZN and Transkei coasts – both by the eddy migrating downstream and by eddy water being recirculated into the inshore boundary of the Agulhas Current itself.     

Horizontal variability in chlorophyll fluorescence and potential temperature

Chlorophyll fluorescence and temperature were measured with a horizontal resolution of 4 m on two isopycnals and two isobars along a 1000 km meridional transect in the eastern North Pacific. Probability density functions (PDFs) of the magnitude of fluctuations in temperature and fluorescence are compared at each of a large range of length scales. While they are nearly identical at larger scales, the shapes of the PDFs of fluorescence and temperature differ significantly at small scales (∼1 km and less). This difference may indicate that at these scales, temperature and fluorescence distributions are controlled by distinct mechanisms. By comparing the phase of wavelet transforms of each of these two tracers, the tendency for temperature and fluorescence gradients to line up is investigated over a large range of spatial scales. At horizontal length scales of order 10 km and larger, the wavelet phase difference between temperature and fluorescence tends to be close to 0° or 180°—that is, the gradients tend to align, either in phase or 180° out of phase. At smaller scales, the distribution of phase difference on isopycnals is uniform—there is no tendency for gradients to coincide. Simple stirring models demonstrate that the locations of enhanced gradients in all tracers would be expected to coincide where the strain has been greatest. However, the directions of enhanced gradients formed in this way may be either parallel or antiparallel, depending on initial conditions and on the direction of the strain. These analyses suggest the horizontal distributions of temperature and fluorescence at large scales were both governed by advective processes. At intermediate scales, of order 1–10 km, a renovating wave model suggests that gradient alignment could be destroyed by turbulent diffusion or by rapid local phytoplankton growth.     

Surface manifestation of internal tides in the deep ocean: observations from altimetry and island gauges

The sea-surface height signatures of internal tides in the deep ocean, amounting to a few centimeters or less, are studied using two complementary measurement types: satellite altimetry and island tide gauges. Altimetry can detect internal tides that maintain coherence with the astronomical forcing; island gauges can monitor temporal variability which, in some circumstances, is due to internal tides varying in response to changes in the oceanic medium. This latter mechanism is at work at Hilo and other stations on the northern coasts of the Hawaiian Islands. By detecting spatially coherent low-frequency internal-tide modulations, the tide gauges, along with inverted echo sounders at sea, suggest that the mean internal tide is also spatially coherent; satellite altimetry confirms this. At Hawaii and in many other places, Topex/Poseidon altimetry detects mean surface waves, spatially coherent and propagating great distances (> 1000 km) before decaying below background noise. When temporal variability is small, the altimetry (plus information on ocean density) sets useful constraints on energy fluxes into internal tides. At the Hawaiian Ridge, 15 GW of tidal power is being converted from barotropic to first-mode baroclinic motion. Examples elsewhere warn that a simplistic interpretation of the altimetry, without regard to variability, noise, or in situ information, may be highly misleading. With such uncertainties, extension of the Hawaiian results into a usefully realistic estimate of the global internal-tide energy balance appears premature at this time.     

The transient oasis: Nutrient-phytoplankton dynamics and particle export in Hawaiian lee cyclones

Macronutrients, photosynthetic pigments, and particle export were assessed in two eddies during the E-Flux I and III cruises to investigate linkages between biogeochemical properties and export flux in Hawaiian lee cyclonic eddies. Cyclone Noah (E-Flux I), speculated to be in the ‘decay’ stage, exhibited modest increases in macronutrients and photosynthetic pigments at the eddy center compared to ambient waters. Cyclone Opal (E-Flux III) also exhibited modest increases in macronutrient concentrations, but a 2-fold enhancement in total chlorophyll a (TChl a) concentration within the eddy center. As indicated by fucoxanthin concentrations, the phytoplankton community in the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) of Opal was comprised mainly of diatoms. During an 8-day time series in the center of Opal, TChl a concentration and fucoxanthin in the DCM decreased by 50%, which was potentially triggered by silicic acid limitation. Despite the presence of a substantial diatom bloom, Opal did not deliver the expected export of particulate carbon and nitrogen, but rather a large biogenic silica export (4-fold increase relative to export in surrounding waters). Results suggest that controls on the life cycle of a Hawaiian lee cyclone are likely a combination of physical (eddy dynamics), chemical (nutrient limitation), and biological (growth and grazing imbalance) processes. Comparisons between Noah and Opal and previously studied cyclones in the region point to a relationship between the spin-up duration of a cyclone and the resulting biological response. Nonetheless, Hawaiian lee cyclones, which strongly influence the biogeochemistry of areas 100's of km in scale in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean, still remain an enigma.     

The cold-core eddy and strong upwelling off the coast of New South Wales in early 2007

During the Austral summer of 2006-07 a series of extreme oceanic events occurred in the Tasman Sea. Following a series of strong wind-driven upwelling events, an intense cold-core eddy developed off Sydney, Australia. A data-assimilating, eddy-resolving ocean model is used to create a three-dimensional time-varying reanalysis of these events. The reanalysis indicates that the cold anomalies associated with the upwellings were in excess of −5 °C near the coast, where sea level decreased by as much as 0.2 m. The reanalysed three-dimensional structure of the cold-core eddy shows the eddy "leaning" to the west-north-west, in towards the continental shelf. The diameter of the eddy is about 100 km and the sea-level anomaly at the eddy centre peaks at around −1 m, with an associated sub-surface temperature anomaly in excess of −8 °C at 200 m depth, corresponding to an upward isotherm excursion of 600 m. The circulation around the cyclonic eddy is ageostrophic, with upwelling in the southern sector of the eddy (where flow is onshore and climbing the continental slope) and downwelling in the northern sector (where flow is descending off the slope). Three-dimensional trajectories of water parcels around the eddy involve 50-100-m vertical excursions. Based on the reanalysed circulation and composite satellite images of Chlorophyll-a, we hypothesise that the circulation around the eddy led to significant nutrient enrichment in the euphotic zone around the perimeter of the eddy.     

The Bransfield current system

We use hydrographic data collected during two interdisciplinary cruises, CIEMAR and BREDDIES, to describe the mesoscale variability observed in the Central Basin of the Bransfield Strait (Antarctica). The main mesoscale feature is the Bransfield Front and the related Bransfield Current, which flows northeastward along the South Shetland Island Slope. A laboratory model suggests that this current behaves as a gravity current driven by the local rotation rate and the density differences between the Transitional Zonal Water with Bellingshausen influence (TBW) and the Transitional Zonal Water with Weddell Sea influence (TWW). Below the Bransfield Front we observe a narrow (10 km wide) tongue of Circumpolar Deep Water all along the South Shetland Islands Slope. At the surface, the convergence of TBW and TWW leads to a shallow baroclinic front close to the Antarctic Peninsula (hereafter Peninsula Front). Between the Bransfield Front and the Peninsula Front we observe a system of TBW anticyclonic eddies, with diameters about 20 km that can reach 300 m deep. This eddy system could be originated by instabilities of the Bransfield Current. The Bransfield Current, the anticyclonic eddy system, the Peninsula Front and the tongue of Circumpolar Deep Water, are the dynamically connected components of the Bransfield Current System.     

南海北部深水区东西构造差异性及其动力学机制

This paper overviews research progress in observation, theoretical analysis and numerical modeling of submesoscale dynamic processes in the South China Sea(SCS) particularly during recent five years. The submesoscale processes are defined according to both spatial and dynamic scales, and divided into four subcategories as submesoscale waves, submesoscale vortexes, submesoscale shelf processes, and submesoscale turbulence. The major new findings are as follows.(1) Systematic mooring observations provide new insights into the solitary waves(ISWs) and the typhoon-forced near-inertial waves(NIWs), of which a new type of ISWs with period of 23 h was observed in the northern SCS(NSCS), and the influences of background vorticity, summer monsoon onset, and deep meridional overturning circulation on the NIWs, as well as nonlinear wave-wave interaction between the NIWs and internal tides, are better understood. On the other hand, satellite altimeter sea surface height data are used to reveal the internal tide radiation patterns and provide solid evidence for that the ISWs in the northeastern SCS originate from the Luzon Strait.(2) Submesoscale offshore jets and associated vortex trains off the Vietnam coast in the western boundary of the SCS were observed from satellite chlorophyll concentration images. Spiral trains with the horizontal scale of 15–30 km and the spacing of 50–80 km were identified.(3) 3-D vertical circulation in the upwelling region east of Hainan Island was theoretically analyzed. The results show that distribution patterns of all the dynamic terms are featured by wave-like structures with horizontal wavelength scale of 20–40 km.(4) Numerical models have been used for the research of submesoscale turbulence. Submesoscale vertical pump of an anticyclonic eddy and the spatiotemporal features of submesoscale processes in the northeastern SCS are well modeled.     

The frontal system at the boundary of the East China Sea: Its variability and response to large-scale atmospheric forcing

High-resolution satellite sea surface temperature measurements (PATHFINDER dataset) indicate that the fronts at the boundary of the East China Sea (Taiwan front, Kuroshio frontal zone, and South Korean coastal front) appear as a unified dominating frontal structure when climatological averaging is applied. This structure is about 1200 km in length, spreads over the continental shelf from Taiwan to the Tsushima Islands, and separates productive seawaters from the oligotrophic oceanic waters. The Kuroshio frontal zone, incorporated into this structure, reveals interannual variability with periods consistent with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (4–5 years).     

Applications of satellite altimetry to oceanography and geophysics

Satellite-borne altimeters have had a profound impact on geodesy, geophysics, and physical oceanography. To first order approximation, profiles of sea surface height are equivalent to the geoid and are highly correlated with seafloor topography for wavelengths less than 1000 km. Using all available Geos-3 and Seasat altimeter data, mean sea surfaces and geoid gradient maps have been computed for the Bering Sea and the South Pacific. When enhanced using hill-shading techniques, these images reveal in graphic detail the surface expression of seamounts, ridges, trenches, and fracture zones. Such maps are invaluable in oceanic regions where bathymetric data are sparse. Superimposed on the static geoid topography is dynamic topography due to ocean circulation. Temporal variability of dynamic height due to oceanic eddies can be determined from time series of repeated altimeter profiles. Maps of sea height variability and eddy kinetic energy derived from Geos-3 and Seasat altimetry in some cases represent improvements over those derived from standard oceanographic observations. Measurement of absolute dynamic height imposes stringent requirements on geoid and orbit accuracies, although existing models and data have been used to derive surprisingly realistic global circulation solutions. Further improvement will only be made when advances are made in geoid modeling and precision orbit determination. In contrast, it appears that use of altimeter data to correct satellite orbits will enable observation of basin-scale sea level variations of the type associated with climatic phenomena.     

Towards a mesoscale eddy closure

A turbulence closure for the effect of mesoscale eddies in non-eddy-resolving ocean models is proposed. The closure consists of a prognostic equation for the eddy kinetic energy (EKE) that is integrated as an additional model equation, and a diagnostic relation for an eddy length scale (L), which is given by the minimum of Rhines scale and Rossby radius. Combining EKE and L using a standard mixing length assumption gives a diffusivity (K), corresponding to the thickness diffusivity in the [Gent, P.R., McWilliams, J.C. 1990. Isopycnal mixing in ocean circulation models. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 20, 150–155] parameterisation. Assuming downgradient mixing of potential vorticity with identical diffusivity shows how K is related to horizontal and vertical mixing processes in the horizontal momentum equation, and also enables us to parameterise the source of EKE related to eddy momentum fluxes.The mesoscale eddy closure is evaluated using synthetic data from two different eddy-resolving models covering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Southern Ocean, respectively. The diagnosis shows that the mixing length assumption together with the definition of eddy length scales is valid within certain limitations. Furthermore, implementation of the closure in non-eddy-resolving models of the North Atlantic and the Southern Ocean shows consistently that the closure has skill at reproducing the results of the eddy-resolving model versions in terms of EKE and K.     

On model validation for meso/submesoscale currents: Metrics and application to ROMS off Central California

ROMS with horizontal grid spacing of 3.5 km for the region off Central California was compared to RAFOS float observations and satellite altimetry on meso/submesoscales. The approach introduced and used two new metrics for model-data comparison, as well as suggested how to calculate these metrics for different spatio-temporal scales. The first metric consisted of the first two moments of exit time and was used to compare ROMS against RAFOS float observations at mid-depths (between 300 m and 350 m). Exit time is the time a float launched at a point takes to leave a domain for the first time. The second metric was spectral entropy and was used to estimate how well ROMS reproduced variability of the sea surface height (SSH) anomaly field extracted from an AVISO data set (1992–2007) for specified temporal and spatial scales. Calculations showed that ROMS reproduced the mid-depth mesoscale/submesoscale currents next to the coast in a very accurate manner (low-order exit time statistics of floats were reproduced by ROMS with an accuracy better than 95%); but ROMS overestimated the speed of westward drift of floats by as much as 20–30% at distances greater than 350 km from the coastline. ROMS predicted the variability of the mesoscale (100–400 km) SSH anomaly field for temporal scales of 1–12 months with a reasonable accuracy. A wavelet transform modulus maxima technique applied to the spectral entropy of SSH anomaly also demonstrated good agreement between ROMS and satellite altimetry for mesoscales characterized by singular exponents and multi-fractal spectra for 1–12 month time scales.     

北太平洋副热带逆流区涡旋动能谱的季节性变化及其机制

本文利用了23年的卫星高度计数据和WOA13气候态月平均温盐资料,考察了北太平洋副热带逆流(STCC)区涡旋动能谱及其涡旋尺度季节变化的动力过程。为了揭示其动力机制,本文采用了斜压2.5层模式并结合动能串级的理论进行分析。结果表明,在STCC区由于海洋层结及地转流的垂向剪切发生了季节性变化,从而产生的斜压不稳定是导致涡旋动能谱季节变化的原因。涡旋动能最大的时间发生在5—6月份,滞后于斜压最不稳定发生的时间(3月份)约2—3个月左右,这是由于斜压不稳定产生的扰动需要一定时间才能发展成振幅足够大的涡旋。斜压不稳定提供的能量使得涡旋相互作用加强,产生了动能逆向串级,动能谱向更大尺度转移。涡旋能量尺度在3月份仅为280km,而在9月份达到最高值335km左右。另一方面,我们发现STCC区动能谱斜率及动能谱通量也有季节变化,在涡旋动能最大的5—6月份,当尺度小于罗斯贝变形尺度时,谱斜率达到1k–3,而动能谱通量达到最大值。对STCC区涡动能谱及涡旋尺度季节变化的研究,对深入认识中尺度涡旋的产生及其演变机制有着重要的意义。