Mesoscale Currents Research Articles

Patchiness of plankton communities at fronts explained by Lagrangian history of upwelled water parcels

AbstractThe transport of plankton by highly dynamic (sub)mesoscale currents—often associated with fronts and eddies—shapes the structure of plankton communities on the same time scales as biotic processes, such as growth and predation (days–weeks). The resulting biophysical couplings generate heterogeneities in their finescale distributions (1–10 km), or “patchiness.” Here, we test the hypothesis that cross‐frontal plankton patchiness at a front found 200–250 km offshore in the California Current System was influenced by wind‐driven upwelling conditions upstream of the front. We show that in situ Eulerian measurements (cross‐frontal transects) can be interpreted in a Lagrangian framework by using satellite‐derived current velocities to trace water parcels backward in time to their coastal origins. We find that the majority of the water parcels sampled at this front originated along the central California coast during different episodic wind‐driven upwelling pulses and followed various trajectories before converging temporarily at the front. In response to nutrient injections at the coast, plankton communities transformed during their journeys from the coast to the sampling zone, with a succession of phytoplankton and zooplankton blooms. The cross‐frontal sampling captured the convergence of these distinct water parcels at different points in their biological histories, which resulted in the observed spatial patchiness. Our results suggest that identifying the processes controlling frontal plankton communities requires understanding them in the context of their spatial and temporal histories. In particular, Lagrangian approaches should be more widely applied to understand critical ecological patterns in highly dynamic systems.

Potential impacts of offshore wind energy development on physical processes and scallop larval dispersal over the US Northeast shelf

This study examines the potential impact of offshore wind energy facilities on the local and regional circulation, stratification, and scallop larval dispersal and settlement over the U.S. Northeast continental shelf. A coupled high-resolution (up to ∼ 1.0 m), wind turbine-resolving hydrodynamical (NS-FVCOM) and scallop individual-based (Scallop-IBM) model was employed. Comparisons were made for scenarios with and without wind turbine generators (WTGs), encompassing three-dimensional flow fields, water temperature, bottom stress/vertical mixing, scallop larval dispersal, settlement, and distributions. The interaction of M2 tidal currents with monopiles generates significant horizontal flow shear on the downflow lee side. The fluid–structure interaction-induced mesoscale currents deviate substantially from the idealized flow fields examined typically in the device-scale laboratory or coarse-grid hydrodynamical models with subgrid-scale explicit parametrizations. Stratification induces noteworthy changes in the flow around individual monopiles throughout the water column, with the maximum bottom stress primarily oriented in the onshore-offshore direction and vertical eddy viscosity occurring around all directions of individual monopiles. The deployment of a WTG array amplifies offshore low-frequency subtidal flow around 40 to 50-m isobaths, forming mesoscale eddies over the shelf. This enhanced flow contributes to offshore water transport, redirecting scallop larvae toward the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area (NLCA). The accumulation of larvae in the NLCA is attributed to eddy-induced retention.

Evaluating the performance of WRF in simulating winds and surface meteorology during a Southern California wildfire event

The intensity and frequency of wildfires in California (CA) have increased in recent years, causing significant damage to human health and property. In October 2007, a number of small fire events, collectively referred to as the Witch Creek Fire or Witch Fire started in Southern CA and intensified under strong Santa Ana winds. As a test of current mesoscale modeling capabilities, we use the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to simulate the 2007 wildfire event in terms of meteorological conditions. The main objectives of the present study are to investigate the impact of horizontal grid resolution and planetary boundary layer (PBL) scheme on the model simulation of meteorological conditions associated with a Mega fire. We evaluate the predictive capability of the WRF model to simulate key meteorological and fire-weather forecast parameters such as wind, moisture, and temperature. Results of this study suggest that more accurate predictions of temperature and wind speed relevant for better prediction of wildfire spread can be achieved by downscaling regional numerical weather prediction products to 1 km resolution. Furthermore, accurate prediction of near-surface conditions depends on the choice of the planetary boundary layer parameterization. The MYNN parameterization yields more accurate prediction as compared to the YSU parameterization. WRF simulations at 1 km resolution result in better predictions of temperature and wind speed than relative humidity during the 2007 Witch Fire. In summary, the MYNN PBL parameterization scheme with finer grid resolution simulations improves the prediction of near-surface meteorological conditions during a wildfire event.

Analyzing Thalamocortical Tract-Tracing Experiments in a Common Reference Space

Current mesoscale connectivity atlases provide limited information about the organization of thalamocortical projections in the mouse brain. Labeling the projections of spatially restricted neuron populations in thalamus can provide a functionally relevant level of connectomic analysis, but these need to be integrated within the same common reference space. Here, we present a pipeline for the segmentation, registration, integration and analysis of multiple tract-tracing experiments. The key difference with other workflows is that the data is transformed to fit the reference template. As a test-case, we investigated the axonal projections and intranuclear arrangement of seven neuronal populations of the ventral posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus (VPM), which we labeled with an anterograde tracer. Their soma positions corresponded, from dorsal to ventral, to cortical representations of the whiskers, nose and mouth. They strongly targeted layer 4, with the majority exclusively targeting one cortical area and the ones in ventrolateral VPM branching to multiple somatosensory areas. We found that our experiments were more topographically precise than similar experiments from the Allen Institute and projections to the primary somatosensory area were in agreement with single-neuron morphological reconstructions from publicly available databases. This pilot study sets the basis for a shared virtual connectivity atlas that could be enriched with additional data for studying the topographical organization of different thalamic nuclei. The pipeline is accessible with only minimal programming skills via a Jupyter Notebook, and offers multiple visualization tools such as cortical flatmaps, subcortical plots and 3D renderings and can be used with custom anatomical delineations.

The Dawn‐Dusk Asymmetry of the Interaction Between Dipolarizing Flux Bundles and the Ambient Plasma: Implications for Asymmetric Wedgelets

AbstractThe substorm current wedge (SCW), the characteristic current system of Earth's substorms, has been suggested to be a collective effect of many “wedgelets,” mesoscale currents carried by magnetotail flux tubes of strong magnetic fields called dipolarizing flux bundles (DFBs). Each wedgelet contains an asymmetric pair of field‐aligned currents (FACs) so the net FAC of many wedgelets can equal an SCW's FAC content. It is unclear, however, why a wedgelet's FAC is asymmetric. To explore the reason, we investigate how earthward‐traveling DFBs interact with ambient plasma because this interaction leads to their FACs. The interaction is manifested as the pressure and magnetic field distributions around DFBs, which we examine statistically using THEMIS data. The statistical distributions are consistent with an interplay between the DFB‐caused mesoscale perturbations and the global magnetotail configuration and favor the rise of wedgelets' asymmetric FACs. This result reveals the importance of cross‐scale coupling in SCW formation.

Observed Structure of an Internal Tide Beam Over the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge

AbstractInternal tides are key players in ocean dynamics above mid‐ocean ridges. The generation and propagation of internal tides over the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge (MAR) have been studied through theoretical and numerical models, as well as through moored, that is, one‐dimensional, observations. Yet, observations remain sparse and often restricted to the vertical direction. Here we report on the first two‐dimensional in situ observation of an internal tide beam sampled by a shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler through a vertical section over the MAR. The beam is generated by the interaction of the barotropic tidal current with a supercritical abyssal hill that sits in the rift valley of the MAR. A vertical mode decomposition is carried out to characterize the spatio‐temporal variability of the beam. Although the modal content of the velocity field is dominated by modes 1 to 3, higher modes display localized and not persistent bursts of energy. The use of an analytical theory for linear internal waves allows us to rationalize the observed velocity field and interpret it as the superposition of modal waves generated on the hill and propagating in the same direction. The observed beam is qualitatively reconstructed as the superposition of waves of modes 2 to 6. The velocity field was sampled seven times across the same section and displayed qualitatively different patterns, unveiling the complexity of the dynamics above the MAR. A ray tracing of modal waves shows that the refraction by mesoscale currents could explain the observed variability of the tidal beam.

A Gradient Based Subgrid‐Scale Parameterization for Ocean Mesoscale Eddies

AbstractMesoscale eddies play an important role in transport of heat and biogeochemical tracers in the global ocean circulation. Resolving these energetic eddies, however, is challenging in ocean general circulation models (OGCM) because it requires a horizontal grid spacing of ≲1/8° that is computationally expensive. As a result, we are required to parameterize mesoscale eddy effects on large‐scale ocean flows. In this work, we introduce a new subgrid‐scale (SGS) model that is developed based on a Taylor series expansion of resolved variables to parameterize subgrid mesoscale eddy transports and momentum fluxes in OGCM. We have performed an a priori study to evaluate the performance of our new gradient model using high‐resolution ocean simulations. Our results show that the gradient model well predicts the actual SGS thickness fluxes in the zonal and meridional directions in coarse‐resolution simulations with the grid spacing ≳1/4°. The unresolved kinetic energy at the ocean surface is also skillfully estimated. More importantly, unlike current mesoscale eddy parameterizations, which are mainly developed based on an assumption of flat bottom ocean, our new SGS model can capture the structure of unresolved standing meanders at the ocean surface. We have also developed a dynamic procedure for setting in non‐dimensional parameters in our new parameterization through a non‐ad hoc and tuning‐free method. Overall, this work suggests that implementing the gradient model in OGCM can improve the model accuracy with an affordable computational cost in eddy‐permitting and non‐eddying simulations.

Modelled coastal circulation and Lagrangian statistics from a large coastal embayment: The case of Bay of Plenty, Aotearoa New Zealand

In this study, a high-resolution one-way nested, hindcast ROMS model was developed to analyse the coastal circulation and Lagrangian statistics within the Bay of Plenty (BoP) region in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The Bay of Plenty Model (BoPM) was statistically evaluated against a set of multiple remote sensing and in situ observations from 2003–2004, forming the analysis period for this study. Overall, the BoPM possesses good skill reproducing ocean water temperature, salinity, sea level and water column velocity over tidal and non-tidal timescales (Willmott skill ¿0.8 for most variables). Root-mean-squared errors of <1 °C for ocean water temperature, ≈0.15 for salinity (an exception present during winter), <8 cm s−1 for water column velocity and 0.09 m for non-tidal sea surface height are achieved. Over the 2-year period, nearshore modelled sea surface currents are correlated to local wind forcing on the western and central region of the BoP consistent with coastal wind-driven upwelling dynamics. Up to 30% of the cross-shelf current variability is explained by along-shore wind stress, consistent with previous observational studies. Meanwhile, the eastern region has no significant correlation to the along-shore winds, suggesting other forcings must be considered. Circulation patterns and Lagrangian statistics under two distinct atmospheric conditions over the two years were analysed: January, with predominantly moderate upwelling-favourable winds and July, with highly variable and stronger winds. January conditions show an eastward flowing large-scale boundary current, the East Auckland Current (EAUC), and a quasi-stationary eddy, the East Cape Eddy (ECE), close to the shelf break, while July conditions show the EAUC and ECE located further from shore. A series of particle release experiments from inner-, mid-shelf, and shelf break locations are used to identify trajectory and dispersion variability between western, central, and eastern sections of the BoP under January and July conditions. Particles released under January conditions tend to flow eastward following the EAUC. Under July conditions, inner- and mid-shelf releases converge towards the central BoP, where bathymetric changes and islands create pathways for particles to exit the continental shelf. Relative dispersion (R2) under January conditions shows a ballistic dispersion regime (R2≈t2) over the first 10 days followed by a diffusive regime (R2≈t1) after 15 days. Under July conditions, a ballistic-like regime is maintained throughout a 30-day period, likely due to strong mixing in the BoP associated with submesoscale processes. Particles released in proximity to East Cape headland that remain in the water column for >5 days show higher dispersion relative to releases from the central and western regions of the BoP. However, 70%–90% of particles released on the eastern inner-shelf strand to the coastline in <5 days. This suggests that the eastern region can act as a retention zone, constraining the particles towards the shore. Drift duration increases for particles released further from the shore, where offshore mesoscale currents influence them more, and islands become important receptor locations.

The Brazil Current mesoscale eddies: Altimetry-based characterization and tracking

The Brazil Current (BC) has been reported as eddy-dominated, with recurrent formation of eddies and meanders along the margin. In this study, we characterize the variability of mesoscale eddies associated with this western boundary current from its origin site to the southern end of the South Brazil Bight (∼15°S – ∼28°S). We apply an eddy detection method on a 27-year multi-satellite altimetry product. We offer a first quantitative estimate of the eddy dominance along the BC path. On average, there are no major differences in the eddy parameters between cyclones and anticyclones. However, north of the 20∘S, the eddies are larger and slower in swirling speed, whereas the opposite patterns occur with the eddies south of 20∘S. Although there is no notable seasonality in the eddy formation in general, there is a tendency to form cyclones in the vicinity of capes and bights of the southeastern Brazilian shelfbreak. In contrast, there is a scattered horizontal distribution of anticyclone formation for most of the BC domain throughout the seasons. The Vitória, Cape São Tomé and Cape Frio Eddies account for ∼30% of the total cyclones in the analysis. The Vitória Eddy (VE) tends to be more often generated in austral autumn, the season of lowest kinetic energy and volume transport of the BC. The Cape São Tomé Eddy (CSTE) and Cape Frio Eddy (CFE) are more energetic in the seasons of the BC’s highest volume transport (austral spring and summer). Despite most of the eddies being described as quasi-stationary in the current literature, our analysis of the eddy trajectories showed that the VE, CFE and CSTE can detach and migrate off of the mean BC axis. We estimate that ∼30% of the CFE events pinch off and migrate southwestward. The CSTE and CFE presented the highest growth rates (0.08 and 0.07 day−1 , respectively) of the recurrent eddies. These results provide a first robust characterization of the BC mesoscale eddies.

Monitoring Mesoscale to Submesoscale Processes in Large Lakes with Sentinel-1 SAR Imagery: The Case of Lake Geneva

As in oceans, large-scale coherent circulations such as gyres and eddies are ubiquitous features in large lakes that are subject to the Coriolis force. They play a crucial role in the horizontal and vertical distribution of biological, chemical and physical parameters that can affect water quality. In order to make coherent circulation patterns evident, representative field measurements of near-surface currents have to be taken. This, unfortunately, is difficult due to the high spatial and temporal variability of gyres/eddies. As a result, few complete field observations of coherent circulation in oceans/lakes have been reported. With the advent of high-resolution satellite imagery, the potential to unravel and improve the understanding of mesoscale and submesoscale processes has substantially increased. Features in the satellite images, however, must be verified by field measurements and numerical simulations. In the present study, Sentinel-1 SAR satellite imagery was used to detect gyres/eddies in a large lake (Lake Geneva). Comparing SAR images with realistic high-resolution numerical model results and in situ observations allowed for identification of distinct signatures of mesoscale gyres, which can be revealed through submesoscale current patterns. Under low wind conditions, cyclonic gyres manifest themselves in SAR images either through biogenic slicks that are entrained in submesoscale and mesoscale currents, or by pelagic upwelling that appears as smooth, dark elliptical areas in their centers. This unique combination of simultaneous SAR imagery, three-dimensional numerical simulations and field observations confirmed that SAR imagery can provide valuable insights into the spatial scales of thus far unresolved mesoscale and submesoscale processes in a lake. Understanding these processes is required for developing effective lake management concepts.

Partial Control of the Gulf of Mexico Dynamics by the Current Feedback to the Atmosphere

Abstract The surface oceanic current feedback (CFB) to the atmosphere has been shown to correct long-lasting biases in the representation of ocean dynamics by providing an unambiguous energy sink mechanism. However, its effects on the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) oceanic circulation are not known. Here, twin ocean–atmosphere eddy-rich coupled simulations, with and without CFB, are performed for the period 1993–2016 over the GoM to assess to which extent CFB modulates the GoM dynamics. CFB, through the eddy killing mechanism and the associated transfer of momentum from mesoscale currents to the atmosphere, damps the mesoscale activity by roughly 20% and alters eddy statistics. We furthermore show that the Loop Current (LC) extensions can be classified into three categories: a retracted LC, a canonical LC, and an elongated LC. CFB, by damping the mesoscale activity, enhance the occurrence of the elongated category (by about 7%). Finally, by increasing the LC extension, CFB plays a key role in determining LC eddy separations and statistics. Taking into account CFB improves the representation of the GoM dynamics, and it should be taken into account in ocean models.

Short timescale variability in large-amplitude internal waves on the western Portuguese shelf

Timescales in the ocean can range from the transient turbulence to the long-term climate scales. Quantifying its changes involves establishing meaningful background states, but that can be challenging if an extensive array of wave phenomena is masking the ocean's variability. Internal Waves (IWs) are a fundamental part of these wave phenomena, which are now widely acknowledged as major contributors in ocean dynamics. In this study we use satellite imagery from Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR) and moored temperature records to assess the variability scales and magnitudes of coastal IW systems propagating onshore off the western Portuguese shelf. The data shows significant variability in timescales of just a few days, and hence within the waves' typical propagation lifespan. A regional ocean circulation model is used together with linear theory to assess how mesoscale variability is contributing to the observed variability patterns observed in the IWs in the SAR and in situ data. According to linear theory, the IW variability is mostly owing to variable mesoscale currents, which off the Portuguese coast typically result from geostrophic flows, eddies and upwelling dynamics. IW variability owing to changes in stratification is found to amount to about half of that in background flows, but their effect can go unnoticed within the largest contributions from mesoscale currents. One extreme event is highlighted in which IWs from consecutive tidal cycles could possibly decouple from (i.e. not traceable back to) their originating tides in just a few days and hence within their typical lifespans.

Importance of Mesoscale Currents in AMOC Pathways and Timescales

Abstract The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) plays a key role in climate due to uptake and redistribution of heat and carbon anomalies. This redistribution takes place along several main pathways that link the high-latitude North Atlantic with midlatitudes and the Southern Ocean and involves currents on a wide range of spatial scales. This numerical study examines the importance of mesoscale currents (“eddies”) in these AMOC pathways and associated time scales, using a highly efficient offline tracer model. The study uses two boundary impulse response (BIR) tracers, which can quantify the importance of the Atlantic tracer exchanges with the high-latitude atmosphere in the north and with the Southern Ocean in the south. The results demonstrate that mesoscale advection leads to an increase in the overall BIR inventory during the first 100 years and results in a more efficient and spatially uniform ventilation of the deep Atlantic. Mesoscale currents also facilitate meridional spreading of the BIR tracer and thus assist the large-scale advection. The results point toward the importance of spatial inhomogeneity and anisotropy of the eddy-induced mixing in several mixing “hotspots,” as revealed by an eddy diffusivity tensor. Conclusions can be expected to assist evaluations of eddy-permitting simulations that stop short of full resolution of mesoscale, as well as development of eddy parameterization schemes.

Application of Turbulent Diffusion Term of Aerosols in Mesoscale Model

AbstractThe presence of unfavorable meteorological conditions triggers pollution, and then further weakens turbulence, especially in the stable boundary layer (SBL), which is a frequent situation in heavy pollution episodes in China. The inapplicability of the classical Monin‐Obukhov similarity theory and the uncertainty of the planetary boundary layer height can lead to large deviation of turbulent diffusion in the SBL in numerical simulations. However, in current mesoscale models, no term has been used to accurately describe the turbulent diffusion of aerosols. Therefore, we use the Mixing‐Length theory to obtain the turbulent diffusion term of aerosols based on high‐resolution observational data, and, for the first time, embed this term into a mesoscale model, which makes the turbulent diffusion process of aerosols more truly depicted. Results from a two‐way coupled atmospheric‐chemistry mesoscale model demonstrate that the turbulent diffusion term of aerosols can improve the problem of overestimated PM2.5 concentration in Eastern China.

Complexity of Mesoscale Eddy Diffusivity in the Ocean

AbstractStirring of water by mesoscale currents (“eddies”) leads to large‐scale transport of many important oceanic properties (“tracers”). These eddy‐induced transports can be related to the large‐scale tracer gradients, using the concept of turbulent diffusion. The concept is widely used to describe these transports in the real ocean and to represent them in climate models. This study focuses on the inherent complexity of the corresponding coefficient tensor (“K‐tensor”) and its components, defined here in all its spatio‐temporal complexity. Results demonstrate that this comprehensive K‐tensor is space‐, time‐, direction‐ and tracer‐dependent. Using numerical simulations with both idealized and comprehensive models of the Atlantic circulation, we show that these properties lead to upgradient eddy fluxes and the potential importance of all tensor components. The uncovered complexity of the eddy transports calls for reconsideration of how they are estimated in practice, included in the general circulation models and theoretically interpreted.

A Simulated Radar Reflectivity Calculation Method in Numerical Weather Prediction Models

AbstractThe simulated radar reflectivity used by current mesoscale numerical weather prediction models can reflect the grid precipitation but cannot reflect the subgrid precipitation generated by a cumulus parameterization scheme. To solve this problem, this study developed a new simulated radar reflectivity calculation method to obtain the new radar reflectivity corresponding to the subgrid-scale and grid-scale precipitation based on the mesoscale Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System (GRAPES) model of the China Meteorological Administration. Based on this new method, two 15-day forecast experiments were carried out for two different time periods (11–25 April 2019 and 1–15 August 2019), and the radar reflectivity products obtained by the new method and previous method were compared. The results show that the radar reflectivity obtained by the new simulated radar reflectivity calculation method gives a clear indication of the subgrid-scale precipitation in the model. Verification results show that the threat scores of the improved experiments are better than those of the control experiments in general and that the reliability of the simulated radar reflectivity for the indication of precipitation is improved. It is concluded that the new simulated radar reflectivity calculation method is effective and significantly improves the reflectivity products. This method has good prospects for providing more information about forecasting precipitation and convective activity in operational models.

Application of Landsat imagery for the investigation of wave breaking

An algorithm for retrieving the fraction of the sea surface covered by whitecaps (W) from Landsat-8 satellite optical reflectance measurements in the near-infrared channel is described. The distribution of W derived from approximately 100 Landsat-8 scenes was compared with quasi-synchronous scatterometer measurements of wind speed (u10), which allowed us to obtain the W(u10) relation for large whitecaps from high-resolution satellite optical measurements. Further, we demonstrate the impact of various phenomena, including- internal waves, river plumes, bottom topography, atmospheric stability, ocean fronts, and mesoscale currents on whitecap coverage and its spatial variation in different areas of the ocean. These data are analysed using theoretical models, suggesting that whitecap coverage is a proxy of wave energy dissipation and reflects disturbances in the wind-wave energy balance caused by wave-current interactions and variable wind forcing due to changes in atmospheric stratification over ocean temperature fronts and the movement of wind-waves by surface currents relative to the atmospheric boundary layer.

A multi-layer urban canopy meteorological model with trees (BEP-Tree): Street tree impacts on pedestrian-level climate

Vegetation alters urban climates via transpirational cooling; however, unlike shorter vegetation, trees additionally provide shade and shelter. Urban canopy models (UCMs) are coupled with mesoscale models for assessment of neighbourhood-scale climate, but their representation of urban trees is limited. We present BEP-Tree, a multi-layer UCM that integrates trees instead of using the ‘tile’ approach that characterizes most urban mesoscale modelling. BEP-Tree resolves the microclimate underneath trees where outdoor human thermal exposure occurs; these conditions are largely inaccessible to current mesoscale modelling and remote sensing approaches. Moreover, BEP-Tree allows trees to protrude above buildings, enabling assessment of low-rise neighbourhoods. The new model combines existing models, including detailed radiative and hydrodynamic models that assess built-tree interactions, and includes new parameterizations for impacts of tree foliage distribution. BEP-Tree is evaluated against unique datasets from three cities enabling assessment of modelled radiation, energy exchanges and road and air temperatures across the diurnal cycle. Urban trees redirect sensible heat into latent heat and reduce pedestrian-level solar radiation, wind, and temperatures during daytime. Thermal climate and energy exchanges are more sensitive to street tree density than height. Coupled with a mesoscale model, BEP-Tree enables assessment of urban forest-induced neighbourhood-to-city scale climate impacts during fair weather periods.

Seasonal Variations of the Coastal Currents and Eddies in the Persian Gulf: A Numerical Case Study

AbstractThis study employed a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model (COHERENS) to investigate the seasonal cycles of the mesoscale currents and eddies in the Persian Gulf with a 2-min horizontal resolution. The barotropic time step of 20 s and the baroclinic time step of 600 s were selected. In a vertical coordinate system with a vertical sigma array, there are equal numbers of vertical columns of water at each depth of the water volume. In this case, we considered 10 vertical sigma layers. We obtained a climatic stability during a 10-year run of the model. The simulation showed a coastal jet stream with a speed rate of 30 cm/s from May to October. The coastal jet stream in the vicinity of the Iranian coast is limited only to the surface as it flows southeastward and the counter current flows with a northwestern direction. However, this jet stream appears over the column of the water from the surface to the seafloor and flows southeastward along the Arabian coasts. Simulation results showed three cyclonic eddies with a diameter of about 100 km in September, the maximum speeds of which are observed at their north part. Decomposed eddies filled the entire water column. Additionally, at the end of summer when the eddy was well developed, the maximum vorticity was observed. The results revealed that anticyclonic eddy depths were higher than the depths of the cyclonic type, which is related to the extent of the eddy's development into the seabed and the effects of baroclinic instability on the water column.

A Hybrid Two-Axis Force Sensor for the Mesoscopic Structural Superlubricity Studies.

Structural superlubricity (SSL) is a state of nearly zero friction and zero wear between two directly contacted solid surfaces. Recently, SSL was achieved in mesoscale and thus opened the SSL technology which promises great applications in Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS), sensors, storage technologies, etc. However, load issues in current mesoscale SSL studies are still not clear. The great challenge is to simultaneously measure both the ultralow shear forces and the much larger normal forces, although the widely used frictional force microscopes (FFM) and micro tribometers can satisfy the shear forces and normal forces requirements, respectively. Here we propose a hybrid two-axis force sensor that can well fill the blank between the capabilities of FFM and micro tribometers for the mesoscopic SSL studies. The proposed sensor can afford 1mN normal load with 10 nN lateral resolution. Moreover, the probe of the sensor is designed at the edge of the structure for the convenience of real-time optical observation. Calibrations and preliminary experiments are conducted to validate the performance of the design.