Asymmetric vertical structure of mesoscale eddies in the Kuroshio Extension region

December 1, 2020·
Hengkai YAO
Hengkai YAO
Chao Ma
Chao Ma
Jaison Kurian
Jaison Kurian
Ping Chang
Ping Chang
· 0 min read
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Image credit: Unsplash
Abstract
The Kuroshio Extension (KE) region in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean is one of the most eddy-energetic regions of the global ocean. In the past decades, much has been investigated about surface eddy characteristics, propagation properties, and horizontal kinematic structures in the KE region by in situ observations, satellite altimetry measurements, and infrared imagery. With more and more observation data accumulated in recent years, many studies apply composite analyses to multi-platform observations to construct eddy structure and associated heat and salt transports. Some recent studies reported different vertical structures of mesoscale eddies on each side of the KE. Eddies south of the KE tend to be subsurface intensified, while eddies north of the KE are surface intensified. This asymmetry of eddy vertical structure across the KE is not expected from the classical baroclinic instability theory. Based on a composite analysis of 20 years of satellite altimetry data and Argo profile data, as well as 4 years of eddy-resolving Community Earth System Model (CESM) simulation, we attempt to probe some of the reasons for the asymmetry of eddy vertical structure.
Type
Publication
In AGU Fall Meeting
publications
Mesoscale Eddies
Hengkai YAO
Authors
Hengkai YAO (he/him)
Ocean Scientist
Dr. Hengkai Yao (姚恒恺) is a lecturer of School of Mathmetica and Physics at the Qingdao University of Science and Technology. He got Ph.D of Physical Oceanograpy from Ocean University of China. His research interests include mesoscale eddies, ocean modeling and AI oceanography. He is member of the AI Oceanography group, which develops big data in ocean, ocean simulation, and ocean prediction. He is also a chief scientist in Qingdao Oakfull Water Technology Co., Ltd.
Chao Ma
Authors
Chao Ma
Associate Professor of Physical Oceanography

Associate Professor College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences Ocean University of China 238 Songling Rd, Qingdao 266100, China Tel: +86-532-66782802 Email:machao@ouc.edu.cn

Education 09/2000-06/2003, B.S. in Marine Science, Ocean University of China 09/2003-06/2006, M.S. in Physical Oceanography, Ocean University of China 09/2006-06/2009, Ph.D. in Physical Oceanography, Ocean University of China 09/2007-09/2008, Joint Ph.D. candidate, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

EMPLOYMENT 07/2009-12/2013, Lecture, Ocean University of China 01/2014-present, Associate Professor, Ocean University of China

Major PROJECTS 01/2017-12/2020, NSFC project “On the multi spatial and temporal scale variations of the Kuroshio and its exchange process with the coastal sea” (41676004), 700k, PI 01/2014-12/2017, NSFC project “The Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Processes in the Kuroshio Extension Region and Their Effects on Circulations in the East Asian Marginal Seas” (41376001), 960k, PI 01/2011-12/2013, NSFC project “The Effect of Abnormal Signals to the East of Japan on Seasonal Variations of the Tsushima Strait Warm Current and Sea Level in the Japan/East Sea” (41006003), 200k, PI 07/2012-12/2014, Promotive Research Fund for Excellent Young and Middle-aged Scientists of Shandong Province “Seasonal variability of the Tsushima Warm Current and its effect on the Yellow Sea Warm Current” (BS2012HZ019), 50k, PI 07/2010-07/2012, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities “Study on the mechanism for seasonal variations of the Yellow Sea Warm Current and the sea level in Chinese coastal waters” (201013021），80k，PI 01/2015-08/2019, National Basic Research Program of China (973) project “Response of the Meridional Overturning Circulation in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current to global warming and its effect on climate change” (2015CB954300), 4.9m, Participant 01/2014-08/2018, National Basic Research Program of China (973) project “Generation and dissipation of oceanic mesoscale eddies and horizontal eddy mixing mechanisms around islands” (2014CB745001), 3.6m, Participant

REFEREED PUBLICATIONS Ma, C., D. Wu, X. Lin, J. Yang, and X. Ju, 2012: On the Mechanism of Seasonal Variation of the Tsushima Warm Current. Cont. Shelf Res., 48, 1-7, doi:10.1016/j.csr.2012.08.013 Ma, C., D. Wu, X. Lin, J. Yang, and X. Ju, 2010: An open-ocean forcing in the East China and Yellow Seas. J. Geophys. Res., 115, C12056, doi:10.1029/2010JC006179 Ma, C., J. Yang, D. Wu, and X. Lin, 2010: The Kuroshio Extension: a leading mechanism for the seasonal sea-level variability along the west coast of Japan. Ocean Dynam., 60(3), 667-672 Ma, C., D. Wu, and X. Lin, 2009: Variability of surface velocity in the Kuroshio Current and adjacent waters derived from Argos drifter buoys and satellite altimeter data, Chin. J. Oceanol. Limnol., 27(2), 208-217 Xu, L., X. Lin, and C. Ma, 2009: Mechanism of the Yellow Sea Warm Current and its seasonal variation, J. Hydrodynamics, 21(2), 159-165

Awards Wu, D., X. Lin, X. Wan, X. Chen, C. Ma, X. Bao, and J. Song, 2013: The Dynamics Framework and Variability of Ocean Environment in the East China Coastal Seas, First prize of Natural Science Award of the Ministry of Education, 2012-21 Wu, D., X. Chen, X. Bao, X. Lin, J. Song, C. Ma, X. Han, H. Yu, L. Qiao, P. Zheng, and G. Wang, 2015: Study on the key processes of ocean dynamic environment in the East China Sea and their fine numerical simulations and applications, First prize of Science and Technology Award of China Association of Oceanic Engineering, 2014-01-01

Courses Undergraduate: Ocean Circulation; FORTRAN Programming

Research Interests Numerical and theoretical studies of ocean circulation; Interactions between open ocean and marginal seas.

Jaison Kurian
Authors
Jaison Kurian
Assistant Research Scientist
Ping Chang
Authors
Ping Chang
Professor of Oceanography
Dr. Chang’s expertise is on climate dynamics and climate prediction, as well as global and regional climate modeling. He leads a research group in global and regional climate modeling studies at TAMU and has developed research collaborations with many institutions in the US, Asia and Europe. Dr. Chang’s research involves the understanding of climate variability and predictability, including El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Tropical Atlantic variability (TAV) and Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV). He has published over 164 refereed journal articles (http://scholar.google.com/citations?User=ciw1niuaaaaj&hl=en), with some of his research being used to guide the design of major international research programs, such as the Climate and Ocean-Variability, Predictability and Change (CLIVAR) Research Program (http://www.clivar.org). He co-chaired the International CLIVAR Atlantic Research Panel (http://www.clivar.org/clivar-panels/atlantic) and was a contributing author to three chapters in the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He is currently the Director of the International Laboratory for High-Resolution Earth System Prediction (iHESP) at Texas A&M University where he and his collaborators have made ground breaking work on climate modeling and prediction.
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