Abstract
The observed seasonal preferences of Loop Current eddy shedding, more in summer and winter and less in fall and spring, are shown for the first time to be due to a curious combination of forcing by the seasonal winds in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The conditions are favorable for the Loop to shed eddies in summer and winter when strong trade winds in the Caribbean produce large Yucatan transport and Loop's intrusion, and concurrently when weak easterlies in the Gulf offer little impediment to eddy shedding. The conditions are less favorable in fall and spring as the trade winds and Yucatan transport weaken, and the strengthening of the Gulf's easterlies impedes shedding.
Original language | English |
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Article number | L05605 |
Journal | Geophysical Research Letters |
Volume | 39 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2012 Mar 1 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- Geophysics
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Why does the Loop Current tend to shed more eddies in summer and winter? / Chang, Yu-Lin; Oey, L. Y.
In: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 39, No. 5, L05605, 01.03.2012.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Why does the Loop Current tend to shed more eddies in summer and winter?
AU - Chang, Yu-Lin
AU - Oey, L. Y.
PY - 2012/3/1
Y1 - 2012/3/1
N2 - The observed seasonal preferences of Loop Current eddy shedding, more in summer and winter and less in fall and spring, are shown for the first time to be due to a curious combination of forcing by the seasonal winds in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The conditions are favorable for the Loop to shed eddies in summer and winter when strong trade winds in the Caribbean produce large Yucatan transport and Loop's intrusion, and concurrently when weak easterlies in the Gulf offer little impediment to eddy shedding. The conditions are less favorable in fall and spring as the trade winds and Yucatan transport weaken, and the strengthening of the Gulf's easterlies impedes shedding.
AB - The observed seasonal preferences of Loop Current eddy shedding, more in summer and winter and less in fall and spring, are shown for the first time to be due to a curious combination of forcing by the seasonal winds in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The conditions are favorable for the Loop to shed eddies in summer and winter when strong trade winds in the Caribbean produce large Yucatan transport and Loop's intrusion, and concurrently when weak easterlies in the Gulf offer little impediment to eddy shedding. The conditions are less favorable in fall and spring as the trade winds and Yucatan transport weaken, and the strengthening of the Gulf's easterlies impedes shedding.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84863240689&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84863240689&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1029/2011GL050773
DO - 10.1029/2011GL050773
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84863240689
VL - 39
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
SN - 0094-8276
IS - 5
M1 - L05605
ER -