Eddy Off Research Articles

Responses of cold eddies to Typhoon Soulik (2013) off northeastern Taiwan Island

By using multisource reanalysis datasets, satellite data, etc., the influences of Typhoon Soulik on the upper ocean of two cold eddies off northeastern Taiwan Island (hereafter referred to as the P-Cold Eddy and D-Cold Eddy), which are distributed around Pengjia Islet and northeastern Diaoyu Island, respectively, were investigated. The results showed that the P-Cold Eddy was strengthened, and the D-Cold Eddy, which was previously invisible in the surface layer, began to appear. The seawater temperatures in the upper mixed layer of the two cold eddies decreased the most on 13 July, with the sea surface temperatures (SSTs) decreasing by 1.16 °C and 0.97 °C and the mixed layer temperatures decreasing by 1.23 °C and 1.06 °C, respectively. The upper ocean cooling of the P-Cold Eddy was mainly caused by upwelling, whose formation was related to the climb of more Kuroshio subsurface cold water northward forced by the typhoon. The upwelling of the D-Cold Eddy was weak, and the warming effect of the heat pump could be observed at the bottom of its mixed layer. The process of cooling and increasing salinity in the mixed layer of the D-Cold Eddy was mainly associated with the inflow of the upper cooler and saltier seawater from the P-Cold Eddy. The air–sea exchange term was not the main factor in the cooling of the seawater in the mixed layer during the forced stage, but it became dominant during the relaxation stage, and the latent heat flux (QLH) contributed significantly to its change.

Formation of a subsurface anticyclonic eddy from the California Undercurrent off northwestern Baja California, Mexico

Hydrographic observations off northwestern Baja California in March 2017 revealed the presence of a subsurface anticyclonic eddy in a cross-shelf transect at ∼ 32 ° N. This eddy’s width was roughly 30 km and it was located about 15 km from the shelf, at depths between 100 m and 400 m. The eddy’s core had hydrographic characteristics consistent with those found in the California Undercurrent (CUC), which suggests that the eddy was originated in the CUC. Numerical-modeling simulations were used to elucidate the origin and evolution of the observed eddy. These simulations also showed a subsurface eddy which crossed the cross-shelf transect’s location with size, depth, and hydrographic characteristics similar to those of the observed eddy (but formed in November 2007, in a simulation for the 2004–2011 period). Thus, this numerical eddy is considered as analogous to the observed one, hence the life cycle is assumed to be the same in both cases. The eddy formation occurred roughly 40 km southeast of the cross-shelf transect, in a zone characterized by a submarine point, where the isobaths change their orientation abruptly and where an enhanced eddy-energy production occurs, which shows that the irregular bottom-topography is a factor that triggered such an eddy formation. The eddy formed in a period of weak along-shelf velocities, 4-10 days after an event of the most intense velocities of the year, associated with the passage of a wind-driven coastal trapped wave generated in remote locations south of the study area. The flow disturbances forced by this wave could be an additional physical factor which predisposes the water column to instability. However, at least in the cases herein analyzed, the eddy separation required an additional momentum/vorticity input by an adjacent mesoscale cyclonic gyre. Comparison with numerical and laboratory–experimental results support the notion that a baroclinic instability process is involved in the eddy generation. The path followed by the subsurface eddy described herein shows a link of the hydrographic characteristics between northwestern Baja California and the Southern California Bight. • Hydrographic observations show a subsurface anticyclonic eddy off Baja California. • An eddy detected in numerical simulations shows consistency with the observations. • Numerical results elucidate the formation and evolution of the observed eddy. • The eddy formed in a zone where isobaths change their direction abruptly. • The formation was linked to weak along-shelf flows and an adjacent cyclonic gyre.

Impacts of ocean currents on the South Indian Ocean extratropical storm track through the relative wind effect

AbstractThis study examines the role of the relative wind (RW) effect (wind relative to ocean current) in the regional ocean circulation and extratropical storm track in the South Indian Ocean. Comparison of two high-resolution regional coupled model simulations with/without the RW effect reveals that the most conspicuous ocean circulation response is the significant weakening of the overly energetic anticyclonic standing eddy off Port Elizabeth, South Africa, a biased feature ascribed to upstream retroflection of the Agulhas Current (AC). This opens a pathway through which the AC transports the warm and salty water mass from the subtropics, yielding marked increases in sea surface temperature (SST), upward turbulent heat flux (THF), and meridional SST gradient in the Agulhas retroflection region. These thermodynamic and dynamic changes are accompanied by the robust strengthening of the local low-tropospheric baroclinicity and the baroclinic wave activity in the atmosphere. Examination of the composite lifecycle of synoptic-scale storms subjected to the high THF events indicates a robust strengthening of the extratropical storms far downstream. Energetics calculations for the atmosphere suggest that the baroclinic energy conversion from the basic flow is the chief source of increased eddy available potential energy, which is subsequently converted to eddy kinetic energy, providing for the growth of transient baroclinic waves. Overall, the results suggest that the mechanical and thermal air-sea interactions are inherently and inextricably linked together to substantially influence the extratropical storm tracks in the South Indian Ocean.

Revisiting the Atlantic South Equatorial Current

AbstractThe southern branch of the South Equatorial Current (SSEC) is the northern limit of the South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. When this current reaches Brazil around 14°S it bifurcates into a southward flow as the Brazil Current (BC) and the surface portion of the northward flowing North Brazil Undercurrent (NBUC). The SSEC system is a key component of the western boundary supply, influencing the NBUC/BC variability and, therefore, global climate through the Meridional Overturning Circulation. In this study, using altimetry satellite data and reanalyzes outputs (1993–2018), we revisit the SSEC mean state and show this current arriving at the South Atlantic western boundary as a multi‐banded flow with surface signatures resulting from different subsurface cores. These bands have velocities between 0.02 and 0.07 m s−1 and, as shown by ADCP data from the PIRATA project, their signature in synoptic scenarios is obscured by eddies and waves with velocities between 0.1 and 0.3 m s−1. In addition, the SSEC annual cycle analysis shows that the seasonality of the bands is out of phase with each other, presenting westward transport anomalies between 0.4 and 2.6 Sv. Finally, our results show that the seasonality of this multi‐banded flow both defines where the BC is born, and modulates the seasonality of semi‐permanent mesoscale eddies off Brazil.

Plankton distribution within a young cyclonic eddy off south-western Madagascar

Mesoscale eddies are major features in ocean dynamics that significantly influence ocean production depending on their polarity, life-stage, location and time of formation. Eddies in the south-west Indian Ocean have been the focus of many studies, especially in the Mozambique Channel where southward-moving cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies feed into the Agulhas Current. However, eddies formed south of Madagascar that move westwards towards the coast of South Africa have been much less studied, despite their significant contribution to the Agulhas Current. This study aims to understand how the plankton communities (i.e. pico-, nano-, phyto-, microzoo- and mesozooplankton) are distributed in a cyclonic eddy generated off southern Madagascar. We also investigate a possible link between the Madagascar shelf and the eddy. Temperature, salinity, fluorescence and plankton abundance were measured at 25 stations spaced at 18.5 km intervals across a young (~ 1 month old) cyclonic eddy, and at three locations on the Madagascar shelf, in July 2013. A patch of enhanced chlorophyll a concentration was found at four stations in the eddy, homogeneously distributed vertically in the upper mixed layer and characterised by a higher proportion of diatoms compared to the other stations. Abundances of picoplankton, nanoplankton, ciliates and dinoflagellates were very similar within and outside the eddy. Zooplankton followed a contrasting pattern with higher biomass at four stations just to the west of this high diatom patch. The mesozooplankton composition at these four stations revealed greater species similarities with the Madagascar shelf than with the other stations, suggesting a link between the shelf and the western side of the eddy. The periphery of the eddy seems to have been primarily influenced by a strong geostrophic current propagating from the southern shelf of Madagascar which then wrapped itself around the eddy. This filament may be the source of the high zooplankton biomass in the eddy periphery, which would account for the similarities in zooplankton community composition between the eddy periphery and the shelf.

Subsurface Fine‐Scale Patterns in an Anticyclonic Eddy Off Cap‐Vert Peninsula Observed From Glider Measurements

AbstractGlider measurements acquired along four transects between Cap‐Vert Peninsula and the Cape Verde archipelago in the eastern tropical North Atlantic during March–April 2014 were used to investigate fine‐scale stirring in an anticyclonic eddy. The anticyclone was formed near 12°N off the continental shelf and propagated northwest toward the Cape Verde islands. At depth, between 100 and –400 m, the isolated anticyclone core contained relatively oxygenated, low‐salinity South Atlantic Central Water, while the surrounding water masses were saltier and poorly oxygenated. The dynamical and thermohaline subsurface environment favored the generation of fine‐scale horizontal and vertical temperature and salinity structures in and around the core of the anticyclone. These features exhibited horizontal scales of O(10–30 km) relatively small with respect to the eddy radius of O(150 km). The vertical scales of O(5–100 m) were associated to density‐compensated gradient. Spectra of salinity and oxygen along isopycnals revealed a slope of around k−2 in the 10‐ to 100‐km horizontal scale range. Further analyses suggest that the fine‐scale structures are likely related to tracer stirring processes. Such mesoscale anticyclonic eddies and the embedded fine‐scale tracers in and around them could play a major role in the transport of South Atlantic Central Water masses and ventilation of the North Atlantic Oxygen Minimum Zone.

Phytoplankton Size Structure in Association with Mesoscale Eddies off Central-Southern Chile: The Satellite Application of a Phytoplankton Size-Class Model

Understanding the influence of mesoscale and submesoscale features on the structure of phytoplankton is a key aspect in the assessment of their influence on marine biogeochemical cycling and cross-shore exchanges of plankton in Eastern Boundary Current Systems (EBCS). In this study, the spatio-temporal evolution of phytoplankton size classes (PSC) in surface waters associated with mesoscale eddies in the EBCS off central-southern Chile was analyzed. Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) size-fractionated filtration (SFF) data from in situ samplings in coastal and coastal transition waters were used to tune a three-component (micro-, nano-, and pico-phytoplankton) model, which was then applied to total Chl-a satellite data (ESA OC-CCI product) in order to retrieve the Chl-a concentration of each PSC. A sea surface, height-based eddy-tracking algorithm was used to identify and track one cyclonic (sC) and three anticyclonic (ssAC1, ssAC2, sAC) mesoscale eddies between January 2014 and October 2015. Satellite estimates of PSC and in situ SFF Chl-a data were highly correlated (0.64 < r < 0.87), although uncertainty values for the microplankton fraction were moderate to high (50 to 100% depending on the metric used). The largest changes in size structure took place during the early life of eddies (~2 months), and no major differences in PSC between eddy center and periphery were found. The contribution of the microplankton fraction was ~50% (~30%) in sC and ssAC1 (ssAC2 and sAC) eddies when they were located close to the coast, while nanoplankton was dominant (~60–70%) and picoplankton almost constant (<20%) throughout the lifetime of eddies. These results suggest that the three-component model, which has been mostly applied in oceanic waters, is also applicable to highly productive coastal upwelling systems. Additionally, the PSC changes within mesoscale eddies obtained by this satellite approach are in agreement with results on phytoplankton size distribution in mesoscale and submesoscale features in this region, and are most likely triggered by variations in nutrient concentrations and/or ratios during the eddies’ lifetimes.

Key Drivers of Seasonal Plankton Dynamics in Cyclonic and Anticyclonic Eddies off East Australia

Mesoscale eddies in the south west Pacific region are prominent ocean features that represent distinctive environments for phytoplankton. Here we examine the seasonal plankton dynamics associated with averaged cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies (CE and ACE, respectively) off eastern Australia. We do this through building seasonal climatologies of mixed layer depth and surface chlorophyll-a for both CE and ACE by combining remotely sensed sea surface height (TOPEX/Poseidon, Envisat, Jason-1, and OSTM/Jason-2), remotely sensed ocean colour (GlobColour) and in situ profiles of temperature, salinity and pressure from Argo floats. Using the CE and ACE seasonal climatologies, we assimilate the surface chlorophyll-a data into both a single (WOMBAT), and multi-phytoplankton class (EMS) biogeochemical model to investigate the level of complexity required to simulate the phytoplankton chlorophyll-a. For the two eddy types, the data assimilation showed both biogeochemical models only needed one set of parameters to represent phytoplankton but needed different parameters for zooplankton. To assess the simulated phytoplankton behavior we compared EMS model simulations with a ship-based experiment that involved incubating a winter phytoplankton community sampled from below the mixed layer under ambient and two higher light intensities with and without nutrient enrichment. By the end of the 5-day field experiment, large diatom abundance was four times greater in all treatments compared to the initial community, with a corresponding decline in pico-cyanobacteria. The experimental results were consistent with the simulated behavior in CE and ACE, where the seasonal deepening of the mixed layer during winter produced a rapid increase in large phytoplankton. Our model simulations suggest that CE off East Australia are not only characterized by a higher chlorophyll-a concentration compared to ACE, but also by a higher concentration of large phytoplankton (i.e. diatoms) due to the shallower CE mixed layer. The model simulations also suggest the zooplankton community is different in the two eddy types and this behavior needs further investigation.

Float observations of an anticyclonic eddy off Hokkaido

AbstractTo clarify the formation process of the salinity minimum in the Kuroshio–Oyashio mixed water region and understand the mechanism of meridional heat transport between the subtropical and subpolar gyres, 16 profiling floats were deployed within a warm‐core anticyclonic eddy off Hokkaido from June 2012 to December 2013. Then, the evolution of an anticyclonic eddy was examined using time series of the water properties. The largest fluctuations in water properties were observed in April and May 2013, when the anticyclonic eddy first moved south to interact with a warm front, then back north. Salinity in the salinity minimum layer increased during the interaction. After the eddy detached from the frontal structure, low‐salinity water was again observed with small intrusive structures, which eventually converged to a smooth zigzag structure in the potential temperature‐salinity diagram, suggesting that both vertical mixing and vertical heaving played a role in the temporal changes observed after the eddy detached from the front. Since the salinity variation during the interaction event was about half the total salinity change during the whole experimental period, the interaction of an eddy with a front might be important for modifying the water properties of the eddy, and, therefore, for the meridional transport of heat and fresh water.

Geostrophic and ageostrophic circulation of a shallow anticyclonic eddy off Cape Bojador

AbstractA shallow mesoscale anticyclonic eddy, observed south of the Canary Islands with satellite altimetry, has been intensively studied with multiparametric sampling. Hydrographic data from a CTD installed on an undulating Nu‐shuttle platform reveal the presence of a mesoscale anticyclonic eddy of ∼125 km diameter. The difference in sea level anomaly (SLA) between the interior and the edge of the eddy, as determined from altimetry, is ∼15 cm, which compares well with the maximum dynamic height differences as inferred using a very shallow reference level (130 m). Further, the associated surface geostrophic velocities, of about 35 cm s−1 in the northeast and southwest edges of the eddy, are in good agreement with direct velocity measurements from the ship. Deep rosette‐CTD casts confirm that the structure is a shallow eddy extending no deeper than 250 m before the fusion with another anticyclone. The SLA‐tendency (temporal rate of change of sea surface height) indicates a clear northwestward migration during the two first weeks of November 2008. Applying an eddy SSH‐based tracker, the eddy's velocity propagation is estimated as 4 km d−1. Use of the QG‐Omega equation diagnoses maximum downward/upward velocities of about ±2 m d−1. The instability of the Canary coastal jet appears to be the mechanism responsible for the generation of the shallow anticyclonic eddy.

Pelagic amphipod assemblage associated with subarctic water off the West Coast of the Baja California peninsula

The California Current system is a large marine ecosystem with transition gradients between subarctic and tropical biomes containing diverse habitats. Biogeographic species groups must be carefully analyzed in order to detect tendencies shifting the ecosystem toward a more temperate or tropical state. Species composition of hyperiid amphipods was analyzed in July 2002 for evidence of subarctic water intrusion and for signals of the El Niño event developing in the equatorial Pacific. Multivariate analysis showed a dominance of “transition zone” species typical of the California Current. The main evidence of subarctic water intrusion was the extended distribution of Themisto pacifica, which reached as far south as 27°N, with particularly high abundances at 30–32°N. The intrusion of subarctic water took place despite evidence that an El Niño event was in progress. The zonal advection due to El Niño intersected the equatorward flow of the subarctic intrusion and probably produced a large cyclonic eddy off Baja California. This eddy maintained a limited El Niño influence at a few offshore stations near its southern boundary. The main environmental variables influencing the amphipod assemblage structure were water temperature and the abundance of salps. T. pacifica, a species with cool water affinity, was more sensitive to temperature, whereas subtropical species, such as Vibilia armata, were strongly correlated with the availability of salps.

Three-dimensional structure of a swarm of the salpThalia democraticawithin a cold-core eddy off southeast Australia

[1] Swarms of the salp Thalia democratica periodically occur off southeast Australia following the austral spring bloom of phytoplankton. In October 2008 a filament of upwelled water was advected south by the adjacent East Australian Current and formed a 30 km diameter cold-core eddy (CCE). The three-dimensional structure of a subsurface swarm of T. democratica within the eddy was examined using both oblique and vertical hauls and an optical plankton counter (OPC) deployed on a towed body. The CCE displayed distinct uplift of the nutricline and elevated fluorescence. Net samples show the zooplankton community was dominated by T. democratica, comprising 73%–88% of zooplankton abundance. The size distribution of T. democratica measured from net samples was 0.5–5 mm and was used to interpret the OPC transects, which showed the swarm formed a 15 km diameter disc located 20–40 m deep in the center of the eddy. The maximum salp abundance was in the pycnocline and coincided with the subsurface fluorescence maximum. The mean abundance of T. democratica size particles within the disc was 5003 individuals m−3 (ind. m−3), contrasted with only 604 ind. m−3 at the outer edge of the eddy. The vertically concentrated and horizontally constrained disc-shaped salp swarm occurred at the interface of salp-bearing inner shelf water and nutrient-rich upwelled water in a CCE. The physical processes that formed the CCE on the inshore edge of the western boundary current led to the largest density of salps recorded.

Dynamics of a mesoscale eddy off Cape Ann, Massachusetts in May 2005

Observations and numerical modeling indicate that a mesoscale anti-cyclonic eddy formed south of Cape Ann at the northern entrance of Massachusetts Bay (MB) during May 2005, when large river discharges in the western Gulf of Maine and two strong Nor'easters passing through the regions led to an unprecedented toxic Alexandrium fundyense bloom (red tide). Both model results and field measurements suggest that the western Maine Coastal Current separated from Cape Ann around May 7–8, and the eddy formed on around May 10. The eddy was trapped at the formation location for about a week before detaching from the coastline and moving slowly southward on May 17. Both model results and theoretical analysis suggest that the separation of the coastal current from the coast and subsequent eddy formation were initiated at the subsurface by an adverse pressure gradient between Cape Ann and MB due to the higher sea level set up by onshore Ekman transport and higher density in downstream MB. After the formation, the eddy was maintained by the input of vorticity transported by the coastal current from the north, and local vorticity generation around the cape by the horizontal gradients of wind-driven currents, bottom stress, and water density induced by the Merrimack River plume. Observations and model results indicate that the anti-cyclonic eddy significantly changed the pathway of nutrient and biota transport into the coastal areas and enhanced phytoplankton including Alexandrium abundances around the perimeter of the eddy and in the western coast of MB.

Incorporation of larval fishes into a developing anti-cyclonic eddy of the Leeuwin Current off south-western Australia

The timing, sources and pathways for incorporation of larval fishes into a developing anti-cyclonic eddy off south-western Australia were investigated. Larval fish assemblages within the study region were structured by location (shelf, eddy and oceanic) and water mass. The larval fish assemblage within the eddy was significantly distinct from that characterizing the surrounding oceanic water. The eddy assemblage, which was comprised largely of larvae of oceanic meso-pelagic fishes (especially Diaphus spp. and Vinciguerria spp.) and less abundant neritic taxa, reflected its Leeuwin Current (LC), shelf and oceanic source waters. The occurrence of neritic taxa in the eddy confirmed the hypothesis that these larvae were incorporated as it developed in proximity to the shelf break. The significantly larger larval size of temperate neritic taxa (e.g. Sardinops sagax, Engraulis australis )i n the eddy compared with the shelf suggests that these larvae were transported from the shelf adjacent to the developing eddy. The occurrence of tropical neritic taxa (e.g. Acanthuridae, Lutjanidae, Pomacentridae) highlighted the LC as an important transport route to higher latitudes. Coupling the sampling of larval fishes with the trajectories of Lagrangian drifters provided insight into how larval fish assemblages changed during development of the eddy.

Shelf currents, lee-trapped and transient eddies on the inshore boundary of the Agulhas Current, South Africa: their relevance to the KwaZulu-Natal sardine run

The existence and strength of the annual KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) sardine run has long been a conundrum to fishers and scientists alike ― particularly that the sardine Sardinops sagax migrate along the narrow Transkei shelf against the powerful, warm Agulhas Current. However, examination of ship-borne acoustic Doppler current profiler (S–ADCP) data collected during two research surveys in 2005 indicated that northward-flowing coastal countercurrents exist at times between the Agulhas Bank and the KZN Bight, near Port Alfred, East London, Port St Johns and Durban. The countercurrent near Port Alfred extended as far east as the Keiskamma River, within an upwelling zone known to exist there. An ADCP mooring at a depth of 32 m off Port Alfred indicated that the countercurrent typically lasted a few days, but at times remained in the same direction for as long as 10 days. Velocities ranged between 20 and 60 cm s−1 with maximum values of ∼80 cm s−1. The S–ADCP data also highlighted the existence of cyclonic flow in the Port St Johns–Waterfall Bluff coastal inset, with a northward coastal current similarly ranging in velocity between 20 and 60 cm s−1. CTD data indicated that this was associated with shelf-edge upwelling, with surface temperatures 2–4 °C cooler than the adjacent core temperature (24–26 °C) of the Agulhas Current. Vertical profiles of the S–ADCP data showed that the countercurrent, about 7 km wide, extends down the slope to at least 600 m, where it appeared to link with the deep Agulhas Undercurrent at 800 m. S–ADCP and sea surface temperature (SST) satellite data confirmed the existence of the semi-permanent, lee-trapped, cyclonic eddy off Durban, associated with a well-defined northward coastal current between Park Rynie and Balito Bay. Analysis of three months (May–July 2005) of satellite SST and ocean colour data showed the shoreward core-boundary of the Agulhas Current (24 °C isotherm) to commonly be close to the coast along the KZN south coast, as well as between the Kei and Mbhashe rivers on the Transkei shelf. The Port St Johns–Waterfall Bluff cyclonic eddy was also frequently visible in these satellite data. Transient cyclonic eddies, which spanned 150–200 km of shelf, appeared to move downstream in the shoreward boundary of the Agulhas Current at a frequency of about once a month. These seemed to be break-away Durban eddies. Data collected by ADCP moorings deployed off Port Edward in 2005 showed that these break-away eddies and the well-known Natal Pulse are associated with temporary northward countercurrents on the shelf, which can last up to six days. It is proposed that these countercurrents off Port Alfred, East London and Port St Johns assist sardine to swim northwards along the Transkei shelf against the Agulhas Current, but that their progress north of Waterfall Bluff is dependent on the arrival of a transient, southward-moving, break-away Durban cyclonic eddy, which apparently sheds every 4–6 weeks, or on the generation of a Natal Pulse. This passage control mechanism has been coined the ‘Waterfall Bluff gateway’ hypothesis. The sardine run survey in June–July 2005 was undertaken in the absence of a cyclonic eddy on the KZN south coast, i.e. when the ‘gate’ was closed.

The effect of surface flooding on the physical–biogeochemical dynamics of a warm-core eddy off southeast Australia

Warm-core eddies (WCEs) formed from the East Australian Current (EAC) play an important role in the heat, mass and biogeochemical budgets of the western Tasman Sea. The development and separation of an EAC WCE during July–December 2008 was observed using remotely sensed temperature, ocean colour and sea-level elevation, three Argo floats, a shipboard CTD, a shelf mooring array and a 15-day deployment of a Slocum glider. The eddy formed from an EAC meander during the first half of 2008 and in late August had a ∼ 275 m deep surface mixed layer. In the two months before separation in early December, fresher and warmer EAC water flooded the top of the eddy, submerging the winter mixed layer. The rate of vertical transport due to submergence was estimated to be between 1 and 6 Sv, at the time accounting for a significant fraction of the mean southward flow of the EAC. The core of the eddy had a surface chlorophyll a concentration of < 0.4 mg m − 3 throughout the observations. A 20–40 m thick pycnocline formed at the interface of the flooding surface waters and the submerged layer. Chlorophyll a concentration in the pycnocline ranged from 0.5 to 2 mg m −3, with depth-integrated concentration ranging between 25 and 75 mg m −2. The development of a sub-surface maximum suggests that flooding increased light levels in the pycnocline. Elevated levels of coloured dissolved organic matter in the submerged layer correspond to oxygen depletion, suggesting respiration of organic matter. A comparison is made with observations from WCEs in 1978 and 1997 in which, unusually, surface flooding did not occur, but solar heating stratified the top 50 m. In the two eddies with surface capping, surface chlorophyll a concentrations were an order of magnitude higher than the 2008 flooded eddy, but depth-integrated chlorophyll a was similar. These findings suggest that EAC WCEs with relatively shallow surface flooding contain more phytoplankton biomass than surface images would suggest, with the vertical position of the chlorophyll a maximum depending on whether, and to what depth, the winter surface mixed layer is submerged.

Energy Flux to a Cyclonic Eddy off Cabo Frio, Brazil

Abstract To evaluate the energy flux from the mean flow of South Atlantic western boundary currents toward typical Cabo Frio eddies (at Brazilian southeast coast), the southwestern Atlantic circulation was simulated with the Princeton Ocean Model. Throughout the study period, the vertical profile of eddy available potential energy direction was monitored. The results indicated that baroclinic instability eddies first appear in intermediate depths and then its signal propagates upward, draining energy from the Brazil Current (BC), until it reaches the surface, 30 days after its formation. The depth of eddy formation is related to the vertical profile of the mean potential vorticity cross-current gradient (∂q/∂s). The beginning of the potential energy flux toward the perturbation and the origin of the eddy occurred at a similar depth and time. The observed pattern suggests the following cycle: 1) a well-defined southwestward-flowing BC in the beginning of the period, with a baroclinically unstable profile of ∂q/∂s; 2) energy flux from the mean flow toward perturbation at intermediate depth; 3) current destabilization and meandering; 4) formation and growth of the cyclonic eddy; 5) potential energy flux progressively shallower; 6) propagation of the eddy signal upward; and 7) stabilization of the water column.

Influence of tropical cyclones on seasonal ocean circulation in the South China Sea

The seasonal variability of South China Sea (SCS) ocean circulation influenced by tropical cyclones (TCs) is studied by using satellite QuikSCAT wind data, Sverdrup theory, and a reduced gravity model. TCs can induce a positive (negative) wind stress curl in the northwestern (southeastern) SCS in summer and a positive wind stress curl for the whole SCS in winter. With these wind stress curls induced by TCs, the cyclonic gyre in the northern SCS and the anticyclonic gyre in the southern SCS are intensified in summer. In winter, the cyclonic gyre in the northern SCS is intensified and the gyre in the southern SCS is weakened except in November and December when both gyres are enhanced. The model results show that the dipole structure off central Vietnam in summer is intensified and the eddy off northwestern Luzon Island in winter is weakened by TCs. The present paper shows that TCs can affect both large‐scale and mesoscale SCS ocean circulation, suggesting that studies including the effect of TCs are necessary to help improve our understanding of SCS ocean circulation dynamics.

Mesoscale distribution of clupeoid larvae in an upwelling filament trapped by a quasi-permanent cyclonic eddy off Northwest Africa

The distribution of fish larvae in relation to a filament shed from the Northwest African coastal upwelling was studied in February 2001. During the cruise, the filament was located between 27°N and 28°N, extending from the African coastal upwelling zone to the south of Fuerteventura Island (Canary Islands). This filament was trapped and remained over the quasi-permanent cyclonic eddy observed in previous studies. Almost all Sardina pilchardus, Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardinella aurita larvae caught during the cruise were associated with upwelled waters and filament structures. The sampled larval fish assemblage was composed by 12.6% of clupeoid larvae. These were distributed as follows: 73.9% were S. pilchardus, 20.7% were E. encrasicolus and 5.4% were S. aurita. Their distribution suggested that the coastal upwelling filament is a mechanism of transport from the upwelling area to oceanic waters, but its junction with the generated cyclonic eddy may not always work as a retention structure for those transported larvae, as described in previous studies. Physiological studies based on gut fluorescence and ETS activity of clupeoid larvae, as proxies for grazing and respiration, respectively, denoted a switch from pigmented food near the upwelling zone to unpigmented food toward the ocean. This pattern agrees with observed mesozooplankton feeding along an upwelling filament in previous studies. Therefore, this work confirms the close relationship between clupeoids distribution and mesoscale circulation, as well as constitutes the first assessment of the metabolic activity of those larvae in the region.

Oceanic upwelling and downwelling processes in waters off the west coast of India

A three-dimensional model based on the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) has been implemented to study the circulation of the west coast of India. The model uses a curvilinear orthogonal horizontal grid with higher resolution near the coast (3–9 km) and a terrain following sigma coordinate in the vertical. The model is able to simulate Lakshadweep High and Lakshadweep Low (LL) during the winter and summer monsoons, respectively. During winter, the downwelling processes noticed along the coast help in the formation of temperature inversions. The inversions can be seen even up to the depths of ∼50 m, which agrees with the available ARGO data in the region. Model simulations show that coastal upwelling off Kerala is at its peak in July. The intensity of upwelling reduces along the coast towards north. During the existence of LL, there is a cyclonic eddy in the sub-surface waters over the South-Eastern Arabian Sea, with vertical extent up to the depths of 100–150 m and it is strengthened due to the presence of northward counter current in the shelf region. The southerly coastal jet formed along the southern coast as a result of upwelling is noticed a westward shift along with LL. The location of the eddy off Kerala is tilted towards the open ocean with depth and our experiments suggest that this flow can be understood as a first baroclinic mode.