Mesoscale eddies in the northern South China Sea

Chau Ron Wu; Tzu Ling Chiang

doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2007.05.008

Mesoscale eddies in the northern South China Sea

Chau Ron Wu^*, Tzu Ling Chiang

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Earth Sciences (Include Institute of Marine Environmental Science and Technology)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

143 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A fine-grid resolution model with realistic bathymetry and forcing has been developed to study the characteristics of the mesoscale eddies for the northern South China Sea (SCS). The SCS model derives its open-boundary conditions from a larger-scale model, which minimizes errors related to the uncertainty of the Kuroshio intrusion at the open boundaries. The model results are consistent with previous observations. Model sea-surface height anomaly demonstrates that the hydrography and circulation in the northern SCS are modulated by westward-propagating mesoscale eddies originating in the vicinity of the Luzon Strait. This explains the observed intra-seasonal fluctuations at the SouthEast Asian Time-series Study (SEATS) station. The mesoscale eddies have the same propagation speed as baroclinic Rossby waves (∼0.1 ms^-1). The periods of eddy shedding estimated from Strouhal number are around 40-50 days in December and 80-120 days in August, respectively. The seasonal variability of the Kuroshio intrusion results in more eddies in winter than in summer.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1575-1588
Number of pages	14
Journal	Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography
Volume	54
Issue number	14-15
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2007.05.008
Publication status	Published - 2007 Jul

Keywords

Eddy shedding
Luzon Strait
Mesoscale eddy
SEATS
Seasonal variability of the Kuroshio intrusion
South China Sea circulation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Oceanography

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10.1016/j.dsr2.2007.05.008

Cite this

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title = "Mesoscale eddies in the northern South China Sea",

abstract = "A fine-grid resolution model with realistic bathymetry and forcing has been developed to study the characteristics of the mesoscale eddies for the northern South China Sea (SCS). The SCS model derives its open-boundary conditions from a larger-scale model, which minimizes errors related to the uncertainty of the Kuroshio intrusion at the open boundaries. The model results are consistent with previous observations. Model sea-surface height anomaly demonstrates that the hydrography and circulation in the northern SCS are modulated by westward-propagating mesoscale eddies originating in the vicinity of the Luzon Strait. This explains the observed intra-seasonal fluctuations at the SouthEast Asian Time-series Study (SEATS) station. The mesoscale eddies have the same propagation speed as baroclinic Rossby waves (∼0.1 ms-1). The periods of eddy shedding estimated from Strouhal number are around 40-50 days in December and 80-120 days in August, respectively. The seasonal variability of the Kuroshio intrusion results in more eddies in winter than in summer.",

keywords = "Eddy shedding, Luzon Strait, Mesoscale eddy, SEATS, Seasonal variability of the Kuroshio intrusion, South China Sea circulation",

author = "Wu, {Chau Ron} and Chiang, {Tzu Ling}",

note = "Funding Information: The invaluable comments given by Dr. Leo Oey of Princeton, Dr. Dong-Ping Wang of State University of New York, Stony Brook, and the reviewers greatly improved both science and the presentation. The SEATS temperature data were kindly provided by Dr. Y. Yang of National Center for Ocean Research. We also benefited from Dr. C.P. Lee for the better understanding in the calculation of the eddy-shedding period. This is contribution no. 103 of the National Center for Ocean Research. This research was supported by the National Science Council, Taiwan, ROC, under Grants NSC 94-2611-M-003-002 and NSC 95-2621-Z-110-005. ",

year = "2007",

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doi = "10.1016/j.dsr2.2007.05.008",

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AU - Wu, Chau Ron

AU - Chiang, Tzu Ling

N1 - Funding Information: The invaluable comments given by Dr. Leo Oey of Princeton, Dr. Dong-Ping Wang of State University of New York, Stony Brook, and the reviewers greatly improved both science and the presentation. The SEATS temperature data were kindly provided by Dr. Y. Yang of National Center for Ocean Research. We also benefited from Dr. C.P. Lee for the better understanding in the calculation of the eddy-shedding period. This is contribution no. 103 of the National Center for Ocean Research. This research was supported by the National Science Council, Taiwan, ROC, under Grants NSC 94-2611-M-003-002 and NSC 95-2621-Z-110-005.

PY - 2007/7

Y1 - 2007/7

N2 - A fine-grid resolution model with realistic bathymetry and forcing has been developed to study the characteristics of the mesoscale eddies for the northern South China Sea (SCS). The SCS model derives its open-boundary conditions from a larger-scale model, which minimizes errors related to the uncertainty of the Kuroshio intrusion at the open boundaries. The model results are consistent with previous observations. Model sea-surface height anomaly demonstrates that the hydrography and circulation in the northern SCS are modulated by westward-propagating mesoscale eddies originating in the vicinity of the Luzon Strait. This explains the observed intra-seasonal fluctuations at the SouthEast Asian Time-series Study (SEATS) station. The mesoscale eddies have the same propagation speed as baroclinic Rossby waves (∼0.1 ms-1). The periods of eddy shedding estimated from Strouhal number are around 40-50 days in December and 80-120 days in August, respectively. The seasonal variability of the Kuroshio intrusion results in more eddies in winter than in summer.

AB - A fine-grid resolution model with realistic bathymetry and forcing has been developed to study the characteristics of the mesoscale eddies for the northern South China Sea (SCS). The SCS model derives its open-boundary conditions from a larger-scale model, which minimizes errors related to the uncertainty of the Kuroshio intrusion at the open boundaries. The model results are consistent with previous observations. Model sea-surface height anomaly demonstrates that the hydrography and circulation in the northern SCS are modulated by westward-propagating mesoscale eddies originating in the vicinity of the Luzon Strait. This explains the observed intra-seasonal fluctuations at the SouthEast Asian Time-series Study (SEATS) station. The mesoscale eddies have the same propagation speed as baroclinic Rossby waves (∼0.1 ms-1). The periods of eddy shedding estimated from Strouhal number are around 40-50 days in December and 80-120 days in August, respectively. The seasonal variability of the Kuroshio intrusion results in more eddies in winter than in summer.

KW - Eddy shedding

KW - Luzon Strait

KW - Mesoscale eddy

KW - SEATS

KW - Seasonal variability of the Kuroshio intrusion

KW - South China Sea circulation

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ER -

Mesoscale eddies in the northern South China Sea

Abstract

Keywords

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