Marine Science College, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
Jiangsu Engineering Technology Research Center of Marine Environment Detection, Nanjing, 210044, China.
Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 28;7(1):6761. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-07059-1.
From the analysis of oceanic eddies detected in the drifter trajectories of the Global Drifter Program (GDP) data set, it was found that oceanic eddies are asymmetrically distributed across the Kuroshio in the East China Sea: predominant cyclonic (anticyclonic) eddies are on the western (eastern) sides of Kuroshio. This distribution is confirmed by high-resolution numerical modeling output as well. Most of these eddies are 5~20 km in radius, less than the local first baroclinic deformation radius, thus categorized as submesoscale. The generation mechanism of these submesoscale eddies is speculated to be related to the horizontal velocity shear of the Kuroshio when it flows northeastward along the shelf break in the East China Sea. The budget analysis of eddy kinetic energy shows that both the horizontal shear and vertical buoyancy flux are important energy sources for eddy generation on the two sides of Kuroshio axis. The finding highlights the unique feature of oceanic eddies along the western boundary currents.
从全球漂流计划（GDP）数据集的漂流轨迹中检测到的海洋涡流分析中发现，东海的黑潮上的海洋涡流呈不对称分布：主要的气旋性（反气旋性）涡流位于黑潮的西侧（东侧）。这一分布也得到了高分辨率数值模型输出的证实。这些涡流的大部分半径为 5~20km，小于局部第一斜压变形半径，因此归类为亚中尺度。这些亚中尺度涡流的产生机制被推测与黑潮沿东海陆架边缘向东北流动时的水平速度切变有关。涡流动能的收支分析表明，水平切变和垂直浮力通量都是黑潮轴两侧涡旋产生的重要能量源。这一发现突出了西边界流中海洋涡流的独特特征。
