Decadal variability of the Kuroshio Extension: mesoscale eddies and recirculations

An eddy-resolving multidecadal ocean model hindcast simulation is analyzed to investigate time-varying signals of the two recirculation gyres present respectively to the north and south of the Kuroshio Extension (KE) jet. The northern recirculation gyre (NRG), which has been detected at middepth recently by profiling float and moored current meter observations, is a major focus of the present study. Low-frequency variations in the intensity of the recirculation gyres are overall highly correlated with decadal variations of the KE jet induced by the basin-wide wind change. Modulation of the simulated mesoscale eddies and its relationship with the time-varying recirculation gyres are also evaluated. The simulated eddy kinetic energy in the upstream KE region is inversely correlated with the intensity of the NRG, consistent with previous observational studies. Eddy influence on the low-frequency modulation of the NRG intensity at middepth is further examined by a composite analysis of turbulent Sverdrup balance, assuming a potential vorticity balance between the mean advection and the convergent eddy fluxes during the different states of the recirculation gyre. The change in the NRG intensity is adequately explained by that inferred by the turbulent Sverdrup balance, suggesting that the eddy feedback triggers the low-frequency modulation of the NRG intensity at middepth.     

The intrinsic nonlinear multiscale interactions among the mean flow,low frequency variability and mesoscale eddies in the Kuroshio region

Using a new functional analysis tool, multiscale window transform(MWT), and the MWT-based localized multiscale energetics analysis and canonical transfer theory, this study reconstructs the Kuroshio system on three scale windows, namely,the mean flow window, the interannual-scale(low-frequency) window, and the transient eddy window, and investigates the climatological characteristics of the intricate nonlinear interactions among these windows. Significant upscale energy transfer is observed east of Taiwan, where the mean Kuroshio current extracts kinetic energy from both the interannual and eddy windows.It is found that the canonical transfer from the interannual variability is an intrinsic source that drives the eddy activities in this region. The multiscale variabilities of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea(ECS) are mainly controlled by the interaction between the mean flow and the eddies.The mean flow undergoes mixed instabilities(i.e., both barotropic and baroclinic instabilities) in the southern ECS, while it is barotropically stable but baroclinically unstable to the north. The multiscale interactions are found to be most intense south of Japan, where strong mixed instabilities occur; both the canonical transfers from the mean flow and the interannual scale are important mechanisms to fuel the eddies. It is also found that the interannual-scale energy mainly comes from the barotropically unstable jet, rather than the upscale energy transfer from the high frequency eddies.     

Hydrodynamic modelling of mesoscale eddies in the Black Sea

A three dimensional structure of mesoscale circulation in the Black Sea is simulated using the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Coastal Ocean Modelling System. A number of sensitivity tests reveal the response of the model to changes in the horizontal resolution, time steps, and diffusion coefficients. Three numerical grids are examined with x-fine (3.2 km), fine (6.7 km) and coarse (25 km) resolution. It is found that the coarse grid significantly overestimates the energy of the currents and is not adequate even for the study of basin-scale circulation. The x-fine grid, on the other hand, does not give significant advantages compared to the fine grid, and the latter is used for the bulk of simulations. The most adequate parameters are chosen from the sensitivity study and used to model both the basin-scale circulation and day-to-day variability of mesoscale currents for the months of May and June of 2000. The model is forced with actual wind data every 6 h and monthly climatic data for evaporation, precipitation, heat fluxes and river run-off. The results of the fine grid model are compared favourably against the satellite imagery. The model adequately reproduces the general circulation and many mesoscale features including cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies, jets and filaments in different parts of the Black Sea. The model gives a realistic geographical distribution and parameters of mesoscale currents, such as size, shape and evolution of the eddies.     

Eddy energy sources and mesoscale eddies in the Sea of Okhotsk

Based on eddy-permitting ocean circulation model outputs, the mesoscale variability is studied in the Sea of Okhotsk. We confirmed that the simulated circulation reproduces the main features of the general circulation in the Sea of Okhotsk. In particular, it reproduced a complex structure of the East-Sakhalin current and the pronounced seasonal variability of this current. We established that the maximum of mean kinetic energy was associated with the East-Sakhalin Current. In order to uncover causes and mechanisms of the mesoscale variability, we studied the budget of eddy kinetic energy (EKE) in the Sea of Okhotsk. Spatial distribution of the EKE showed that intensive mesoscale variability occurs along the western boundary of the Sea of Okhotsk, where the East-Sakhalin Current extends. We revealed a pronounced seasonal variability of EKE with its maximum intensity in winter and its minimum intensity in summer. Analysis of EKE sources and rates of energy conversion revealed a leading role of time-varying (turbulent) wind stress in the generation of mesoscale variability along the western boundary of the Sea of Okhotsk in winter and spring. We established that a contribution of baroclinic instability predominates over that of barotropic instability in the generation of mesoscale variability along the western boundary of the Sea of Okhotsk. To demonstrate the mechanism of baroclinic instability, the simulated circulation was considered along the western boundary of the Sea of Okhotsk from January to April 2005. In April, the mesoscale anticyclonic eddies are observed along the western boundary of the Sea of Okhotsk. The role of the sea ice cover in the intensification of the mesoscale variability in the Sea of Okhotsk was discussed.     

Investigating mesoscale eddy characteristics in the Luzon Strait region using altimetry

Ocean Dynamics - The circulation in the northern South China Sea (SCS) strongly responds to anticyclonic eddies that shed from the Kuroshio intruding across Luzon Strait. An eddy tracking algorithm...     

Numerical analysis of the Black Sea currents and mesoscale eddies in 2006 and 2011

Two prognostic experiments taking into account real atmospheric forcing for 2006 and 2011 were carried out based on the eddy-resolving numerical model with a horizontal resolution of 1.6 km for the Black Sea. The main dynamic features such as the Rim Current, the Sevastopol, and Batumi anticyclones are reproduced in both experiments. The model results are confirmed via observation data. We accomplished the analysis of simulated circulation and energetics. The results demonstrate that both the vertical viscosity and vertical diffusion along with the energy inflow from the wind have been the main contributors to the annual and seasonal budgets of kinetic and potential energies of the Black Sea circulation. It is shown that two regimes of the Black Sea general circulation are implemented depending on a magnitude of wind contribution to the kinetic energy in winter. Intensive mesoscale eddy formation was observed along the Anatolian, Caucasian, and Crimean coasts. The analysis of the Black Sea circulation and eddy energetics allowed us to conclude that the generation and development of the mesoscale coastal eddies is associated with the barotropic instability in case of intensive coastal currents and is associated with both the barotropic and baroclinic instability in case of weak coastal currents.     

Impacts of the Kuroshio intrusion on the two eddies in the northern South China Sea in late spring 2016

During mid-May to early June 2016, a cold eddy and a warm eddy were captured on the continental slope of the northern South China Sea by the in situ measurements. A salty lens-shaped water mass in the subsurface layer existed in these two detected eddies, which indicated they had a Kuroshio water origin. The trajectories of the observed eddies from satellite altimeter data show that the cold eddy was generated in the central part of the Luzon Strait, while the warm eddy was formed southwest of Taiwan. The genesis of the cold eddy is related to a weak Kuroshio loop current, while that of the warm eddy is associated with a strong Kuroshio loop current. The warm eddy east of the Luzon Strait may trigger the Kuroshio from a leaping path to a looping path. During the evolution of these detected eddies, they had interactions with the Kuroshio and Luzon Gyre. Energy analysis from ocean reanalysis data showed that the baroclinic conversion between the cold eddy and the Kuroshio was stronger than that between the cold eddy and Luzon Gyre. During the eddy shedding stage, the warm eddy mainly acquired energy from the Kuroshio loop current through the baroclinic conversion.     

A coupled model analyses on the interaction between oceanic eddies and tropical cyclones over the Bay of Bengal

Ocean Dynamics - The Bay of Bengal (BOB) region of Indian Ocean is affected by numerous tropical cyclones during pre- and post-monsoon seasons when various eddies are generated in the central and...     

Seasonal variability of eddy characteristics and energetics in the Kuroshio Extension

Ocean Dynamics - Based on the eddy-resolving Four-dimensional variational Ocean Re-Analysis for the Western North Pacific over 30 years (FORA-WNP30) product, this study investigates the...     

Generation mechanisms for mesoscale eddies in the Gulf of Lions: radar observation and modeling

Coastal mesoscale eddies were evidenced during a high-frequency radar campaign in the Gulf of Lions (GoL), northwestern Mediterranean Sea, from June 2005 to January 2007. These anticyclonic eddies are characterized by repeated and intermittent occurrences as well as variable lifetime. This paper aims at studying the link between these new surface observations with similar structures suggested at depth by traditional acoustic Doppler current profiler measurements and investigates the eddy generation and driving mechanisms by means of an academic numerical study. The influence of the wind forcing on the GoL circulation and the eddy generation is analyzed, using a number of idealized configurations in order to investigate the interaction with river discharge, buoyancy, and bathymetric effects. The wind forcing is shown to be crucial for two different generation mechanisms: A strong northerly offshore wind (Mistral) generates a vortex column due to the bathymetric constraint of a geostrophic barotropic current, which can surface after the wind relaxes; a southerly onshore wind generates a freshwater bulge from the Rhône river discharge, which detaches from the coast and forms a well-defined surface anticyclonic eddy based on buoyancy gradients. These structures are expected to have important consequences in terms of dispersion or retention of biogeochemical material at local scales.     

中尺度涡影响下目的层地震成像的畸变与影响因素分析

将PE方法与地震数值模拟方法相结合研究了中尺度涡影响下目标地层成像的畸变.模拟了不同声源频率、不同水深条件下的地震波场.计算结果发现,中尺度涡的存在使得真实地形结构无法在地震成像中反映,而且地震成像畸变随着海水深度、震源频率的增加而增大.机理分析表明,中尺度涡所带来的水体温度梯度变化是产生地震成像畸变的主要因素.为了便于工程应用,本文还推导了有效涡强度、温度差与地形畸变率的关系式.本文的研究结果将对提高深海地震成像精度有一定的指导意义.     

Assessment of the hydraulic slope flow approach using a mesoscale model

The simplified hydraulic two-layer model for a katabatic flow is analysed using the outputs from a high-resolution mesoscale simulation. A stably stratified night is simulated for the Duero basin, a complex terrain area located in the northern Spanish plateau, with large vertical and horizontal spatial resolution. Well-defined katabatic flows on the basin slopes are generated by the simulation, that are relatively stationary and quasi-bidimensional for some areas in the central part of the night. The bulk quantities used in the two-layer approach as well as the different terms in the equations are computed from the three-dimensional information provided by the mesoscale simulation. This method allows to inspect how well the simplified approach represents the katabatic flow generated by the mesoscale model. The study shows that the hydraulic model allows for a comprehensive analysis of the basic mechanisms of the slope flows but is not able to close the budget equations, since the residuals are large.     

Impact of eddies on ocean diapycnal mixing in Gulf Stream region

Based on high-resolution,Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography(Argo)profiles and Sea Level Anomaly(SLA)data,this study statistically analyzes and compares turbulent diapycnal mixing profiles inside and outside mesoscale eddies in the Gulf Stream region.The result indicates that average diapycnal diffusivity at 300–540 m depths in anticyclonic eddies reaches4.0×10-5 m2 s-1.This is significantly higher than the 1.6×10-5 m2 s-1 outside eddies and 0.8×10-5 m2 s-1 in cyclonic eddies.Probabilities of diapycnal diffusivity greater than 10-4 m2 s-1 within anticyclonic and cyclonic eddies and outside eddies are29%,5%and 12%,respectively.However,magnitudes of average diapycnal diffusivity at 540–900 m depths in these three cases are of the same order,10-5 m2 s-1.Twenty-four of a total 38 anticyclonic eddies had enhanced mixing in the ocean interior,and 22 were observed during or shortly after strong winds.The coincidence between enhanced mixing and strong wind stress indicates that more wind-induced,near-inertial wave energy propagates downward in anticyclonic eddies.The deeper part of 12 profiles(below 540 m)in anticyclonic eddies had vertical overturns with Thorpe scale exceeding 5 m,among which three profiles had overturns reaching 20 m.Enhanced mixing may have occurred in deep layers of some profiles,although it was not evident in average conditions.     

Three-dimensional structure of mesoscale eddies in the western tropical Pacific as revealed by a high-resolution ocean simulation

The three-dimensional structure of mesoscale eddies in the western tropical Pacific(6°S–20°N, 120°E–150°E)is investigated using a high-resolution ocean model simulation. Eddy detection and eddy tracking algorithms are applied to simulated horizontal velocity vectors, and the anticyclonic and cyclonic eddies identified are composited to obtain their three-dimensional structures. The mean lifetime of all long-lived eddies is about 52 days, and their mean diameter is 147 km. Two typical characteristics of mesoscale eddies are revealed and possible dynamic explanations are analyzed. One typical characteristic is that surface eddies are generally separated from subthermocline eddies along the bifurcation latitude(~13°N) of the North Equatorial Current in the western tropical Pacific, which may be associated with different eddy energy sources and vertical eddy energy fluxes in subtropical and tropical gyres. Surface eddies have maximum swirl velocities of 8–9 cm s~(-1) and can extend to about 1500 m depth. Subthermocline eddies occur below 200 m, with their cores at about 400–600 m depth, and their maximum swirl velocities can reach 10 cm s~(-1). The other typical characteristic is that the meridional velocity component of the eddy is much larger than the zonal component. This characteristic might be due to more zonal eddy pairs(two eddies at the same latitude),which is also supported by the zonal wavelength(about 200 km) in the high-frequency meridional velocity component of the horizontal velocity.     

A vortex-tube model of eddies in the inertial range

Abstract

A vortex-tube geometry of the cascade of energy to small-scale eddies, in the inertial range of fully-developed turbulence, is proposed. The model is a special case of the beta model of Frisch, Sulem and Nelkin (1978). We require that the cascade conserve the principal invariants of inviscid, incompressible flow, namely volume, topological knottedness, circulation, and, at discrete times marking the termination of steps in the cascade, energy. The process terminates in a finite time, as in any beta model, leaving behind a self-similar network of “inactive” tubes. We associate a self-similar scaling dimension D with the structure, equal to the Hausdorff dimension of the set of “active” tubes at the termination of the cascade. Because circulation Λ plays a key role in the analysis of the cascade, we refer to these vortex-tube geometries as “gamma models”. The viewpoint throughout is entirely deterministic.

We describe two examples of gamma models. In the ring geometry, an eddy is a vortex ring, and the cascade produces “rings upon rings”, so we allow cutting and fusing of tubes while conserving total helicity. In the preferred helical model, no cutting is needed, and the cascade produces an infinite progression of braided “coils upon coils”. We suggest that latter geometry as a candidate for the topology of a singularity of the inviscid limit of a Navier-Stokes flow, when modeled by discrete vortex tubes.

A crucial ingredient of a gamma model, not explicitly present in a beta model, is the possibility of “splitting” a vortex tube into sub-tubes carrying smaller circulation. We suggest a dynamical basis for this process, as an instability of tubes whose cores violate the Rayleigh criterion.

The parameters describing a gamma model are not uniquely determined by our study, but there is a “simplest” helical gamma model, involving minimal splitting and distortion of tubes. The dimension D of the structure is 13/5, with a scale factor Λ = 2^?5/4. This value of D agrees with that suggested by Hentschel and Procaccia (1982), by analogy with established results for certain branched polymers.     

Numerical simulation of organic chemicals in a marine environment using a coupled 3D hydrodynamic and ecotoxicological model

For ecotoxicological risk assessment in a marine ecosystem, we constructed a coupled three-dimensional hydrodynamic and ecotoxicological model (EMT-3D), and applied it to Tokyo Bay. The model was calibrated with field data obtained in 2002. The results of sensitivity analysis for dissolved Bisphenol A showed that biodegradation rate was the most important factor for concentration change. Bioconcentration coefficient was the most important factor for Bisphenol A in phytoplankton. Therefore, the parameters must be carefully considered in the modeling. The mass balance results showed that standing stocks of Bisphenol A in water, in particulate organic carbon and in phytoplankton are 7.85 x 10(4), 1.78 x 10(2) and 3.44 x 10(-1) g, respectively. With respect to flux, biodegradation in the water column had the highest value of 1.06 x 10(3) g/day, and next were effluent to the open sea, partition to particulate organic carbon, and bioconcentration in phytoplankton.     

Study of subsurface eddy properties in northwestern Pacific Ocean based on an eddy-resolving OGCM

Ocean Dynamics - A method based on the Okubo–Weiss parameter was used to detect subsurface eddies (SSEs) with an eddy-resolving ocean general circulation model. Statistical analyses showed...