Effects of mesoscale eddies on intraseasonal variability of intermediate water east of Taiwan

Abstract

The intraseasonal variability of the intermediate water (IW) and its characteristics east of Taiwan are studied utilizing 17 months of long-term, continuous and synchronous measurements of temperature, salinity and current from mooring sites deployed at 122° E/23° N from January 2016 to May 2017. Direct measurements revealed water masses east of Taiwan alternately show complete South China Sea Intermediate Water or North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) characteristics, mostly in a mixed state, with NPIW dominating 70% of the time. For the first time, it is demonstrated that the variation of IW with periods of ~ 80 days is mainly related to mesoscale eddies. Anticyclonic (cyclonic) eddies corresponding to an increase (decrease) in temperature and salinity in the intermediate layer. Further mechanism analysis indicates the vertical motion of the water mass inside the eddies is one of the reasons for the thermohaline change in the intermedaiter layer. In addition, the anticyclonic eddies may increase the salinity concentration gradient across the Luzon Strait, and the enhanced advection is favorable to the outflow of water masses in the South China Sea. When the cyclonic eddies acts on the eastern part of Taiwan, the influence of the northward advection is weakened and the southward flow on its left side is more favorable to the transport of NPIW.