Abstract
A cyclonic eddy detected in the northwestern South China Sea during the summer of 2011 is investigated using both satellite data and several sets of in situ observations including cruise measurements and a mooring line. The eddy was generated to the west of the Zhongsha Islands in early June and then propagated northwestward. In July and August, when the cyclonic gyre originating from the offshore jet recirculation east of Vietnam matured, the eddy was absorbed into the gyre and strengthened by it. The eddy regulated the thermohaline characteristics and the currents of the entire water column. Along-slope boundary currents (toward the northeast in summer) were completely reversed from the surface to about 1300 m below. The thermohaline in deep water (660–950 m) showed a significant response to the presence of the eddy, with the isotherms and isohalines rising up to 100 m. The recurrence of the phenomenon is further explored by a statistical analysis of satellite observations. Results suggest the presence of a cyclonic eddy and abnormal offshore jets are closely associated with the El Nino Southern Oscillation events.
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