TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of mesoscale eddies on the Taiwan Strait current
AU - Chang, Yu-Lin
AU - Miyazawa, Yasumasa
AU - Guo, Xinyu
PY - 2015/1/1
Y1 - 2015/1/1
N2 - This study shows that mesoscale eddies can alter the Taiwan Strait Current. The 20-yr data-assimilated Japan Coastal Ocean Predictability Experiment 2 (JCOPE2) reanalysis data are analyzed, and the results are confirmed with idealized experiments. The leading wind-forced seasonal cycle is excluded to focus on the effect of the eddy. The warm eddy southwest of Taiwan is shown to generate a northward flow, whereas the cold eddy produces a southward current. The effect of the eddy penetrates onto the shelf through the joint effect of baroclinicity and relief (JEBAR). The cross-isobath fluxes lead to shelfward convergence and divergence, setting up the modulation of the sea level slope. The resulting along-strait current anomaly eventually affects a wide area of the Taiwan Strait. The stronger eddy leads to larger modification of the cross-shelf flows and sea level slope, producing a greater transport anomaly. The composite Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) serves as an indicator to show the change in Chl-a concentration in the strait in response to the eddy-induced current. During the warm eddy period, the current carries the southern water of lower concentration northward, reducing Chl-a concentration in the strait. In contrast, Chl-a is enhanced because the cold eddy-induced southward current carries the northern water of higher concentration southward into the strait.
AB - This study shows that mesoscale eddies can alter the Taiwan Strait Current. The 20-yr data-assimilated Japan Coastal Ocean Predictability Experiment 2 (JCOPE2) reanalysis data are analyzed, and the results are confirmed with idealized experiments. The leading wind-forced seasonal cycle is excluded to focus on the effect of the eddy. The warm eddy southwest of Taiwan is shown to generate a northward flow, whereas the cold eddy produces a southward current. The effect of the eddy penetrates onto the shelf through the joint effect of baroclinicity and relief (JEBAR). The cross-isobath fluxes lead to shelfward convergence and divergence, setting up the modulation of the sea level slope. The resulting along-strait current anomaly eventually affects a wide area of the Taiwan Strait. The stronger eddy leads to larger modification of the cross-shelf flows and sea level slope, producing a greater transport anomaly. The composite Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) serves as an indicator to show the change in Chl-a concentration in the strait in response to the eddy-induced current. During the warm eddy period, the current carries the southern water of lower concentration northward, reducing Chl-a concentration in the strait. In contrast, Chl-a is enhanced because the cold eddy-induced southward current carries the northern water of higher concentration southward into the strait.
KW - Circulation/ Dynamics
KW - Currents
KW - Eddies
KW - Mesoscale processes
KW - Ocean dynamics
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U2 - 10.1175/JPO-D-14-0248.1
DO - 10.1175/JPO-D-14-0248.1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84942806613
VL - 45
SP - 1651
EP - 1666
JO - Journal of Physical Oceanography
JF - Journal of Physical Oceanography
SN - 0022-3670
IS - 6
ER -