Isopycnal displacements within the Cape Basin thermocline as revealed by the Hydrographic Data Archive

The transfer of upper kilometer water from the Indian Ocean into the South Atlantic, the Agulhas leakage, is believed to be accomplished primarily through meso-scale eddy processes. There have been various studies investigating eddies of the “Cape Basin Cauldron” from specific data sets. The hydrographic data archive acquired during the last century within the Cape Basin region of the South Atlantic provides additional insight into the distribution and water mass properties of the Cape Basin eddies. Eddies are identified by mid-thermocline isopycnal depth anomalies relative to the long-term mean. Positive depth anomalies (the reference isopycnal is deeper than the long-term mean isopycnal depth) mark the presence of anticyclonic eddies; negative anomalies mark cyclonic eddies. Numerous eddies are identified in the whole region; the larger isopycnal displacements are attributed to the energetic eddies characteristic of the Cape Basin and indicate that there is a 2:1 anticyclone/cyclone ratio. Smaller displacements of the less energetic features are almost equally split between anticyclones and cyclones (1.4:1 ratio). Potential temperature, salinity and oxygen relationships at thermocline and intermediate levels within each eddy reveal their likely origin. The eddy core water is not solely drawn from Indian Ocean: tropical and subtropical South Atlantic water are also present. Anticyclones and cyclones carrying Agulhas Water properties are identified throughout the Cape Basin. Anticyclones with Agulhas Water characteristics show a predominant northwest dispersal, whereas the cyclones are identified mainly along the western margin of the African continent, possibly related to their origin as shear eddies at the boundary between the Agulhas axis and Africa. Cyclones and anticyclones carrying pure South Atlantic origin water are identified south of 30°S and west of the Walvis Ridge. Tropical Atlantic water at depth is found for cyclones north of the Walvis Ridge, west of 10°E and for stations deeper than 4000 m, and a few anticyclones with the same characteristics are found south of the ridge.     

Cetacean habitat in the northern oceanic Gulf of Mexico

Cetaceans (whales and dolphins) are diverse and abundant upper trophic level predators in the Gulf of Mexico, a semi-enclosed, intercontinental sea with a total area of about 1.5 million km². The objectives of this study were to better define the habitat of cetaceans in the northern oceanic Gulf of Mexico. An integrated methodology was used that included visual surveys and hydrographic collections from ships. Near real-time sea surface altimetry from the TOPEX/POSEIDON and ERS satellites was used during ship surveys to determine the location of hydrographic features (e.g., cyclones, anticyclones and confluence zones). Archival satellite sea surface altimetry data were also used to retrospectively determine the location of hydrographic features for analysis with earlier cetacean sightings. We estimated zooplankton and micronekton biomass using both net and acoustic sampling to indicate the amount of potential food available for higher trophic level foraging by cetaceans. Nineteen cetacean species were identified during ship surveys. Cetaceans were concentrated along the continental slope in or near cyclones and the confluence of cyclone–anticyclone eddy pairs, mesoscale features with locally concentrated zooplankton and micronekton stocks that appear to develop in response to increased nutrient-rich water and primary production in the mixed layer. A significant relationship existed between integrated zooplankton biomass and integrated cephalopod paralarvae numbers, indicating that higher zooplankton and micronekton biomass may correlate with higher concentrations of cetacean prey. In the north-central Gulf, an additional factor affecting cetacean distribution may be the narrow continental shelf south of the Mississippi River delta. Low salinity, nutrient-rich water may occur over the continental slope near the mouth of the Mississippi (MOM) River or be entrained within the confluence of a cyclone–anticyclone eddy pair and transported beyond the continental slope. This creates a deep-water environment with locally enhanced primary and secondary productivity and may explain the presence of a resident, breeding population of sperm whales within 100 km of the Mississippi River delta. Overall, the results suggest that the amount of potential prey for cetaceans may be consistently greater in the cyclone, confluence areas, and south of the MOM, making them preferential areas for foraging. However, this may not be true for bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins and possibly Bryde's whales, which typically occur on the continental shelf or along the shelf break outside of major influences of eddies.     

Satellite and in situ observations of the bio-optical signatures of two mesoscale eddies in the Sargasso Sea

Satellite ocean-color imagery and field spectroradiometer observations are used to assess the bio-optical signatures of two mesoscale features, a cyclone C1 and an 18°-water anticyclone A4, in the Sargasso Sea. Field determinations of upper layer bio-optical properties, such as the diffuse attenuation coefficient and remote-sensing reflectance spectra, show little statistically significant variations with distance to the eddy center for either eddy. This contrasts field observations showing many-fold higher phytoplankton pigment biomass at depth (and for A4 higher primary production rates at depth) than is typical for this region. The cyclone C1 does show a significant decrease in the depth of the 1% photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) isolume with increasing distance from eddy center while the anticyclone A4 shows no coherent signal vs. distance. Vertical profiles of bio-optical properties show consistent patterns where subsurface maxima are displaced higher inside the core of the cyclone C1 than in the surrounding waters while the highest values of the diffuse attenuation coefficient at 443 nm are observed within the core of anticyclone A4. Satellite observations of near-surface bio-optical properties show signals consistent with eddy physical characteristics, although the magnitude of these variations is very small, barely detectable by typical field measurement protocols. Mean values of bio-optical properties are higher within the cyclone compared with its periphery but not for the anticyclone. For both eddies, significant inverse correlations are observed between time series of bio-optical properties and eddy center sea-level anomaly. Consistent response to wind speed is also noted: following strong wind events, bio-optical parameters are elevated inside the anticyclone and are reduced inside the cyclone. These observations demonstrate that a combination of physical processes, including vertical eddy uplift, eddy horizontal advection, and eddy-scale Ekman pumping, contribute to the bio-optical imprint of mesoscale eddies. The contributions of these forcing mechanisms change over the period of observation, illustrating the limitations of inferring eddy bio-optical dynamics from short-term, field observations. The present analyses provide insights into the potential as well as the drawbacks of bio-optical techniques for probing the biological and biogeochemical impacts of open-ocean eddies.     

Western Arctic primary productivity regulated by shelf-break warm eddies

The response of phytoplankton to the Beaufort shelf-break eddies in the western Arctic Ocean is examined using the eddy-resolving coupled sea ice–ocean model including a lower-trophic marine ecosystem formulation. The regional model driven by the reanalysis 2003 atmospheric forcing from March to November captures the major spatial and temporal features of phytoplankton bloom following summertime sea ice retreat in the shallow Chukchi shelf and Barrow Canyon. The shelf-break warm eddies spawned north of the Barrow Canyon initially transport the Chukchi shelf water with high primary productivity toward the Canada Basin interior. In the eddy-developing period, the anti-cyclonic rotational flow along the outer edge of each eddy moving offshore occasionally traps the shelf water. The primary production inside the warm eddies is maintained by internal dynamics in the eddy-maturity period. In particular, the surface central area of an anti-cyclonic eddy acquires adequate light, nutrient, and warm environment for photosynthetic activity partly attributed to turbulent mixing with underlying nutrient-rich water. The simulated biogeochemical properties with the dominance of small-size phytoplankton inside the warm eddies are consistent with the observational findings in the western Arctic Ocean. It is also suggested that the light limitation before autumn sea ice freezing shuts down the primary production in the shelf-break eddies in spite of nutrient recovery. These results indicate that the time lag between the phytoplankton bloom in the shelf region following the summertime sea ice retreat and the eddy generation along the Beaufort shelf break is an important index to determine biological regimes in the Canada Basin.     

南海中尺度涡旋对热带气旋的响应：个例研究

利用TOPEX／POsEIDON和Jason—1卫星高度计,SeaWiFS水色传感器和TMI微波成像仪等卫星遥感资料研究了南海中尺度涡旋对热带气旋“玲玲”（Lingling,0123）、“灿都”（Chanthu,0405）和“榴莲”（Durian,0621）的响应,得到以下研究结果：（1）位于热带气旋“玲玲”和“榴莲”移动路径右侧的冷涡在热带气旋经过后增强,表现在海面高度距平和海表温度的较大幅度下降,以及叶绿素a的爆发性升高;（2）位于“玲玲”移动路径左侧以及“灿都”路径上的暖涡在热带气旋经过后减弱,表现在海面高度距平和海表温度的下降,而叶绿素a变化不太明显;（3）当热带气旋“玲玲”和“灿都”经过暖涡时,热带气旋的强度迅速增大,这表明暖涡可能有助于热带气旋的加强．     

长江口及其邻近海区环流和温、盐结构动力学研究IV 盐度结构

盐度的数值模拟结果表明: 一年四季长江口及其邻近海区的盐度分布均为近岸低, 外海高,近岸与外海盐差大。冬季近岸和外海的上层盐度呈垂直均匀分布, 陡坡及外海的底层出现层化; 近岸特别是长江口及其以南近岸盐度的水平变化显著, 外海变化缓慢。春季在长江口以北, 近岸至外海的表层至近底层盐度呈垂直均匀分布, 近岸至外海的底层存在一个向北延伸的盐舌; 长江口及其以南近岸和外海的表层至次表层盐度呈垂直均匀分布, 在近岸稍远的表层至次表层形成盐跃层, 其强度自近岸至外海和自表层至底层逐渐减弱; 在陡坡区的底层盐度几乎呈均匀分布, 并保持高盐特征。夏季除长江口及其以南近岸浅水区盐度呈垂直均匀分布外, 其它区域盐度均出现剧烈分层, 在长江冲淡水区形成强盐跃层, 其强度自表层至底层迅速减弱, 陡坡至外海的底层盐度大致呈均匀分布且保持高盐特征。秋季长江口以北近岸浅水区表层盐度低且出现层化, 表层以下盐度高且呈垂直均匀分布; 近岸以远自表层至底层呈垂直均匀分布, 在外海上层盐度低且呈垂直均匀分布, 而底层盐度高并出现分层;长江口及其以南近岸浅水区盐度呈垂直均匀分布, 陡坡区出现层化, 其盐度为表层低, 底层高; 层化自表层至底层逐渐增强, 并随陡坡至外海的减弱, 上层又逐渐变为垂直均匀分布。     

Inversion of the three-dimensional temperature structure of mesoscale eddies in the Northwest Pacific based on deep learning

Mesoscale eddies, which are mainly caused by baroclinic effects in the ocean, are common oceanic phenomena in the Northwest Pacific Ocean and play very important roles in ocean circulation, ocean dynamics and material energy transport. The temperature structure of mesoscale eddies will lead to variations in oceanic baroclinity, which can be reflected in the sea level anomaly (SLA). Deep learning can automatically extract different features of data at multiple levels without human intervention, and find the hidden relations of data. Therefore, combining satellite SLA data with deep learning is a good way to invert the temperature structure inside eddies. This paper proposes a deep learning algorithm, eddy convolution neural network (ECN), which can train the relationship between mesoscale eddy temperature anomalies and sea level anomalies (SLAs), relying on the powerful feature extraction and learning abilities of convolutional neural networks. After obtaining the temperature structure model through ECN, according to climatic temperature data, the temperature structure of mesoscale eddies in the Northwest Pacific is retrieved with a spatial resolution of 0.25° at depths of 0–1 000 m. The overall accuracy of the ECN temperature structure is verified using Argo profiles at the locations of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies during 2015–2016. Taking 10% error as the acceptable threshold of accuracy, 89.64% and 87.25% of the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddy temperature structures obtained by ECN met the threshold, respectively.     

南海中尺度涡温盐异常三维结构

基于1994-2015年海面高度异常数据,采用winding-angle中尺度涡旋探测算法识别出南海范围内共5 899个反气旋涡（AE）和3 792个气旋涡（CE）,结合世界海洋数据集（WOD13）及中国科学院南海海洋研究所（SCSIO）温盐观测数据集,采用基于变分法的客观插值方法,合成了南海及南海各区域中尺度涡的温盐异常三维结构。结果表明,本文采取的插值方式能有效地获得涡旋三维结构,垂向尺度上也与前人研究结果较为一致。在平均状态下,南海AE温盐异常强度明显大于CE,AE正位温异常主体结构深度约440 m,而CE仅在320 m以浅维持涡旋结构;两者最大位温异常均出现在次表层约80 m上下,AE达2.02℃,CE达-1.60℃。盐度异常影响深度约150 m,最大盐度异常出现在50 m深附近,AE达-0.24,CE达0.28,同时由于涡旋在不单调变化的背景盐度场中引起海水下沉（上升）,AE盐度异常结构呈"上负下正"而CE呈"上正下负"式结构。南海各区域合成涡旋的温、盐异常的影响程度并不完全相同,可能与各区域涡旋的生成机制及背景温盐场有关。     

The warm-water “Halo” around Maud Rise: Properties,dynamics and Impact

Regional hydrographic and current observations from the 2005 MaudNESS winter field campaign in the Maud Rise seamount region of the eastern Weddell Sea show that an annular Halo consisting largely of Warm Deep Water (WDW) encircled the Rise at depths just below the mixed layer. The Halo was associated with elevated isopycnals and, on the northern flank of the Rise, strong subsurface velocities up to 20 cm s⁻¹. Intercomparison of these observations with winter 1986 and 1994 conditions confirms the presence of the Halo and suggests that it, and associated warm pools west of the Rise, are at least semipermanent features of the region. These observational results compare well with the output from an isopycnic ocean model for a variety of parameters including shape of the seamount, inflow conditions and vertical stratification. The model captures processes associated with a steady westward flow impinging on the isolated seamount and shows (1) that the dynamics of the warm-water Halo with a shallow mixed layer are related to the formation of a jet surrounding the Rise and the overlying Taylor column and (2) that eddies of alternating sign (cyclones and anticyclones) are formed from instability of the jet-like flow structure, and are subsequently shed from the western flanks of the Rise. The eddies closest to the rise are dominated by cyclones which tend to adhere to the flanks more strongly than anticyclones. The formation and passage of approximately 3–5 eddies per year is seen in the sea-surface-height anomalies over a 12-year period. Despite apparent spatial and temporal variability in the dynamics of the Halo and shedding of eddies, the time-mean picture is such that significantly elevated isopycnals with WDW below the mixed layer are always present on the flanks of Maud Rise. This mechanism likely contributes annually to earlier seasonal ice loss in the eastern Weddell Sea than farther west. For unusually strong inflow conditions, possibly due to large-scale interannual variability, the Halo becomes more intense and overlies a much larger part of Maud Rise, potentially preconditioning the area for deep ocean ventilation and a subsequent polynya event such as observed in the 1970s.     

A statistical analysis of mesoscale eddies in the Bay of Bengal from 22–year altimetry data

本文使用一种基于SLA数据的涡旋识别方法,通过22年的AVISO高度计测高数据对孟加拉湾的中尺度涡特征进行了研究。本文主要分析了孟加拉湾涡旋的地理分布、涡旋极性、涡旋生命周期和传播距离、涡旋产生和消失位置、涡旋传播方向和移动轨迹、涡旋运动特征、涡旋属性的演化以及涡旋活动的季节和年际变化等特性。涡旋主要分布在孟加拉湾西部海域,并且大部分涡旋向西移动。涡旋极性分布显示气旋涡更经常出现在湾的西北部和南部,而反气旋涡主要出现在湾的东部。在22年间,共追踪探测到生命周期超过30天的气旋涡565个、反气旋涡389个;对所有生命周期和传播距离而言都是气旋涡数量居多。所有观测到的涡旋的运动属性分析显示气旋涡的涡旋平均振幅大于反气旋涡;对平均半径和平均移动速度而言,气旋涡和反气旋涡相差不大。而且,涡旋属性演化显示生命周期超过90天的涡旋具有明显的双阶段演化特征,包括一个前50天的涡旋成长阶段和一个50天之后的涡旋消亡阶段。针对涡旋活动的季节变化,气旋涡在春季居多而反气旋涡在夏季较多;长生命周期的涡旋季节分布显示在孟加拉湾涡旋活动具有明显的季节分布特征。涡旋数量的年际变化与EKE变化有一个明显的负相关。     

Statistical characteristics and thermohaline properties of mesoscale eddies in the Bay of Bengal

The statistical characteristics and vertical thermohaline properties of mesoscale eddies in the Bay of Bengal are studied from the view of satellite altimetry data and Argo profiles. Eddy propagation preferences in different lifetimes, eddy evolution process, and geographical distribution of eddy kinetic properties are analyzed in this area. Eddies exist principally in the western Bay of Bengal, and most of them propagate westward. There is a clear southward(equatorward) preference for eddies with long lifetimes, especially for cyclones. Moreover, the eddies in different areas of the bay show different north-southward preferences. Evolution of eddy kinetic properties with lifetime shows that eddies have the significant three-stage feature: the growth period in the former one-fifth lifetime, the stable period in the middle two-fifth to four-fifth lifetime, and the dying period in the last one-fifth lifetime. Large-amplitude and high-intensity eddies occur only in the relatively confined regions of highly unstable currents, such as the East Indian Coastal Current and eastern Sri Lanka. Based on Argo profile data and climatology data, the eddy synthesis method was used to construct three-dimensional temperature and salt structures of eddies in this area. The mean temperature anomaly is negative/positive to the cyclonic/anticyclonic eddies in the upper 300×10~4 Pa, and below this depth, the anomaly becomes weak. The salinity structures of positive anomalies inside cyclonic eddies and negative anomalies inside anticyclonic eddies in the Bay of Bengal are not consistent with other regions. Due to the special characteristics of the water mass in the bay, especially under the control of the low-salinity Bay of Bengal water at the surface and the Indian equatorial water in the deep ocean, the salinity of seawater shows a monotonic increase with depth. For regional varieties of temperature and salinity structures, as the eddies move westward, the temperature anomaly induced by the eddies increases, the effecting depth of the eddies deepens, and the salinity structures are more affected by inflows. In the north-south direction, the salinity structures of the eddies are associated with the local water masses, which comprise lowsalinity water in the northern bay due to the inflow of freshwater from rivers and salty water in the southern bay due to the invasion of Arabian Sea high-salinity water from the north Indian Ocean.     

东海黑潮周边中尺度涡的分布、运动规律以及生成机制

为了探究东海黑潮周边涡旋分布、形成机理及运动规律,基于法国国家空间研究中心(CNES)卫星海洋学存档数据中心(AVISO)的中尺度涡旋数据集展开了研究。首先,统计了近27年东海黑潮周边的涡旋分布,发现在黑潮弯曲海域产生了650个涡旋,在黑潮中段海域产生了271个涡旋,其中直径100~150 km之间的涡旋数量最多,涡旋振幅主要集中在2~6 cm。其次,分析了东海黑潮的运动路径和涡运动过程,结果表明,黑潮气旋式弯曲海域内侧易产生气旋涡,且移动路径较长,如台湾东北海域黑潮流轴气旋式弯曲处产生的涡旋,其平均位移达到了87.6 km;当反气旋式弯曲海域内侧产生反气旋涡时,涡旋往往做徘徊运动。黑潮中段海域的涡旋呈现出气旋涡在黑潮主轴西侧、反气旋涡在黑潮主轴东侧的极性对称分布特征,两类涡都沿黑潮主轴向东北方向移动。最后,结合再分析的流场、海面高度数据,讨论了涡旋运动规律和生成机制。黑潮弯曲处涡旋的生成与黑潮流体边界层分离有关,奄美大岛南部到冲绳岛西侧的黑潮逆流对黑潮中段海域涡的极性对称分布起到了关键作用,涡旋在运动过程中通常经历生长、成熟和衰变三个阶段。     

The connection between Labrador Sea buoyancy loss, deep western boundary current strength, and Gulf Stream path in an ocean circulation model

The sensitivity of the North Atlantic gyre circulation to high latitude buoyancy forcing is explored in a global, non-eddy resolving ocean general circulation model. Increased buoyancy forcing strengthens the deep western boundary current, the northern recirculation gyre, and the North Atlantic Current, which leads to a more realistic Gulf Stream path. High latitude density fluxes and surface water mass transformation are strongly dependent on the choice of sea ice and salinity restoring boundary conditions. Coupling the ocean model to a prognostic sea ice model results in much greater buoyancy loss in the Labrador Sea compared to simulations in which the ocean is forced by prescribed sea ice boundary conditions. A comparison of bulk flux forced hindcast simulations which differ only in their sea ice and salinity restoring forcings reveals the effects of a mixed thermohaline boundary condition transport feedback whereby small, positive temperature and salinity anomalies in subpolar regions are amplified when the gyre spins up as a result of increased buoyancy loss and convection. The primary buoyancy flux effects of the sea ice which cause the simulations to diverge are ice melt, which is less physical in the diagnostic sea ice model, and insulation of the ocean, which is less physical with the prognostic sea ice model. Increased salinity restoring ensures a more realistic net winter buoyancy loss in the Labrador Sea, but it is found that improvements in the Gulf Stream simulation can only be achieved with the excessive buoyancy loss associated with weak salinity restoring.     

海洋中的天气式涡旋

将由海洋中各物理过程产生的海水特性分布非均匀性，分为小、中、天气式和全球4种时、空尺度。对比副势带急民生罗斯贝波变形半径，阐明海洋天气式涡旋小于和慢于大气中的数十倍。对比在高空锋带下方，低怪大气锋中出现地面涡，揭示海洋蛇曲中不产生高空锋带类似物及近海底锋；大洋中自由涡虽能集中于海洋上半部，便与大气中低空正、反气旋正相反。因而，锋流环和洋中涡能对局地天气起作用，流环能成为海洋子午向热传递的重要机制。     

两个西边界流延伸体区域中尺度涡统计特征分析

黑潮和湾流是世界大洋中最典型的两支西边界流,黑潮延伸体（Kuroshio Extention,KE）和湾流延伸体（Gulf Stream Extention,GSE）区域中尺度涡活动十分活跃。本文综合利用卫星高度计资料和Argo浮标资料,对KE和GSE区域中尺度涡的表层特征及其对温盐影响进行了统计研究和对比分析。结果表明:黑潮和湾流主轴附近为涡旋频率的高值区,主轴南北两侧分别以气旋涡和反气旋涡数量占多,主轴附近的涡旋强度明显大于其他区域;两个区域的涡旋以西向移动为主,气旋涡和反气旋涡都具有向南（赤道）偏离的趋势;两个区域的涡旋数量都以夏、秋季较多,涡旋强度都在春、夏季较大,且GSE区域涡旋强度明显大于KE区域;气旋涡（反气旋涡）引起内部明显的温度负（正）异常,KE区域气旋涡（反气旋涡）内部呈"负-正"（"正-负"）上下层相反的盐度异常分布,GSE区域气旋涡（反气旋涡）在各层呈现较为一致的盐度负（正）异常;两个区域中尺度涡对温盐场的平均影响深度可达1 000×104 Pa以上。     

Anticyclonic eddies in the Norwegian Sea; their generation,evolution and impact on primary production

Altimetry and ocean color observations are used in combination with a coupled physical-primary production ocean model to investigate anticyclonic eddies at two locations in the Norwegian Sea. Of particular interest are the formation of the anticyclonic eddies, and their influence on primary production. The formation of these anticyclonic eddies are due to baroclinic instabilities set up by shifts in the wind in north/south direction, leading to simultaneously formation of eddies throughout the area. After a density stratification develops in the upper 100 m of the water column, the anticyclones become a subsurface lens of well mixed water with the characteristics of intra-thermocline eddies. The deep mixed layer inside anticyclonic eddies delay phytoplankton bloom by approximately two weeks compared to the surrounding areas. As the mixed layer within the anticyclones become smaller than the critical depth, the combination of this and sufficiently high nutrient levels support a phytoplankton bloom. From the satellite observations, there is an evidence of phytoplankton being advected toward the center of the eddies, but also of isolated phytoplankton blooms within the intra-thermocline eddies. The combined use of a numerical model and satellite observations provides three-dimensional information on the structure and properties of both eddies and primary production. The presented model is particularly useful in cloud-covered areas where ocean color images are frequently unavailable.     

A numerical study of the seasonal circulation in the Seto Inland Sea,Japan

The seasonal variation of water circulation in the Seto Inland Sea is investigated using a high resolution, three-dimensional numerical ocean model. The model results are assessed by comparison with long-term mean surface current and hydrographic data. The simulated model results are consistent with observations, showing a distinct summer and winter circulation patterns. In summer the sea water is highly stratified in basin regions, while it is well mixed near the straits due to strong tidal mixing there. During this period, a cold dome is formed in several basins, setting up stable cyclonic eddies. The cyclonic circulation associated with the cold dome develops from May and disappears in autumn when the surface cooling starts. The experiment without freshwater input shows that a basin-scale estuarine circulation coexists with cyclonic eddy in summer. The former becomes dominant in autumn circulation after the cold dome disappears. In winter the water is vertically well mixed, and the winter winds play a significant role in the circulation. The northwesterly winds induce upwind (downwind) currents over the deep (shallow) water, forming a “double-gyre pattern” in the Suo-Nada, two cyclonic eddies in Hiuchi-Nada, and anticyclonic circulation in Harima-Nada in vertically averaged current fields.     

Zooplankton community structure in a cyclonic and mode-water eddy in the Sargasso Sea

Mesoscale eddies are important suppliers of nutrients to the surface waters of oligotrophic gyres, but little is known about the biological response, particularly that of higher trophic levels, to these physical perturbations. During the summers of 2004 and 2005, we followed the development of a cyclonic eddy and an anti-cyclonic mode-water eddy in the Sargasso Sea. Zooplankton (>150 μm) were collected across both eddies in 9 discrete depth intervals between 0 and 700 m. Comparison of the abundance of major taxa of mesozooplankton in the upper 150 m at eddy center and outside the eddies (day and night) indicated that the cyclone and mode-water eddy supported similar mesozooplankton communities, with several taxa significantly higher in abundance inside than outside the eddies, when compared with the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study site as representative of mean conditions. In both eddies copepod peak abundance occurred in the 50-100 m depth interval, coincident with the chlorophyll a maximum, suggesting elevated food concentration in the eddies may have influenced zooplankton vertical distribution. The two eddies differed in the strength of diel vertical migration of zooplankton, as indicated by the ratio of night:day abundance in the epipelagic zone, which was higher at the center of the mode-water eddy for most taxa. Over the sampling interval of 1-2 months, abundance of the three most common taxa (copepods, chaetognaths, and ostracods) decreased in the cyclone and increased in the mode-water eddy. This further supports previous findings that over the sampling period the cyclone was in a decay phase, while the mode-water eddy was sustaining nutrient fluxes and high phytoplankton concentrations. A more detailed analysis of community structure in the mode-water eddy indicated the 0-700 m integrated abundance of doliolids was significantly higher inside the mode-water eddy than outside. The presence of a mesopelagic (200-700 m) layer of lepadid barnacle cyprids in this eddy highlights the potential of eddies to transport and disperse biota. We conclude that when compared with average ambient conditions (as measured at BATS), mesoscale eddies can influence zooplankton behavior and alter zooplankton community structure which can affect food-web interactions and biogeochemical cycling in the open ocean.     

再谈海冰边缘区域中尺度涡旋形成机制——非线性平流

利用三维海洋模式与二维海冰模式耦合,研究海冰边缘区域中尺度涡旋形成最重要的机制之一——非线性平流机制。二维海洋模型模拟结果表明,非线性平流机制在水深比较浅的时候更加重要。不同于把海洋考虑成一个正压流体的二维模型,三维海洋模型中海冰通过海-冰相互作用直接影响海洋表层。我们发现在三维海洋模型实验中,中尺度涡旋和海洋表面抬升都对水深变化敏感。海流速度的垂直结构表面,当海水变浅,各层海流都变得更快。相同风应力作用相同时间之后,表面抬升与海水深度成反比关系。同时我们还发现由于垂直运动,在三维海洋模型实验结果中,海面抬升非常小,只有二维海洋模型实验结果的1%。垂直运动是三维海洋模型和二维海洋模型实验结果不同的根本原因。     

A global coupled sea ice–ocean model

A new sea ice model, GELATO, was developed at Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques (CNRM) and coupled with OPA global ocean model. The sea ice model includes elastic–viscous–plastic rheology, redistribution of ice floes of different thicknesses, and it also takes into account leads, snow cover and snow ice formation. Climatologies of atmospheric surface parameters are used to perform a 20-year global ocean–sea ice simulation, in order to compute surface heat fluxes from diagnosed sea ice or ocean surface temperature. A surface salinity restoring term is applied only to ocean grid cells with no sea ice to avoid significant surface salinity drifts, but no correction of sea surface temperature is introduced. In the Arctic the use of an ocean model substantially improves the representation of sea ice, and particularly of the ice edge in all seasons, as advection of heat and salt can be more accurately accounted for than in the case of, for example, a sea ice–ocean mixed layer model. In contrast, in the Antarctic, a region where ocean convective processes bear a much stronger influence in shaping sea ice characteristics, a better representation of convection and probably of sea ice (for example, of frazil sea ice, brine rejection) would be needed to improve the simulation of the annual cycle of the sea ice cover. The effect of the inclusion of several ice categories in the sea ice model is assessed by running a sensitivity experiment in which only one category of sea ice is considered, along with leads. In the Arctic, such an experiment clearly shows that a multicategory sea ice model better captures the position of the sea ice edge and yields much more realistic sea ice concentrations in most of the region, which is in agreement with results from Bitz et al. [J. Geophys. Res. 106 (C2) (2001) 2441–2463].