Seasonal variability of eddy kinetic energy in the East Australian current region

Jia Liu; Shaojun Zheng; Shaojun Zheng; Shaojun Zheng; Ming Feng; Lingling Xie; Lingling Xie; Lingling Xie; Baoxin Feng; Baoxin Feng; Baoxin Feng; Peng Liang; Peng Liang; Peng Liang; Lei Wang; Lei Wang; Lei Wang; Lina Yang; Lina Yang; Lina Yang; Li Yan; Li Yan; Li Yan

doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.1069184

Frontiers in Marine Science (Dec 2022)

Seasonal variability of eddy kinetic energy in the East Australian current region

Jia Liu,
Shaojun Zheng,
Shaojun Zheng,
Shaojun Zheng,
Ming Feng,
Lingling Xie,
Lingling Xie,
Lingling Xie,
Baoxin Feng,
Baoxin Feng,
Baoxin Feng,
Peng Liang,
Peng Liang,
Peng Liang,
Lei Wang,
Lei Wang,
Lei Wang,
Lina Yang,
Lina Yang,
Lina Yang,
Li Yan,
Li Yan,
Li Yan

Affiliations

Jia Liu: Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Shaojun Zheng: Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Shaojun Zheng: Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources, and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Shaojun Zheng: Key Laboratory of Space Ocean Remote Sensing and Application, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing, China
Ming Feng: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
Lingling Xie: Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Lingling Xie: Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources, and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Lingling Xie: Key Laboratory of Space Ocean Remote Sensing and Application, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing, China
Baoxin Feng: Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Baoxin Feng: Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources, and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Baoxin Feng: Key Laboratory of Space Ocean Remote Sensing and Application, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing, China
Peng Liang: Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Peng Liang: Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources, and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Peng Liang: Key Laboratory of Space Ocean Remote Sensing and Application, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing, China
Lei Wang: Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Lei Wang: Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources, and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Lei Wang: Key Laboratory of Space Ocean Remote Sensing and Application, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing, China
Lina Yang: Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Lina Yang: Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources, and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Lina Yang: Key Laboratory of Space Ocean Remote Sensing and Application, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing, China
Li Yan: Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Li Yan: Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources, and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Li Yan: Key Laboratory of Space Ocean Remote Sensing and Application, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.1069184
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9

Abstract

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The East Australian Current (EAC) is an important western boundary current of the South Pacific subtropical Circulation with high mesoscale eddy kinetic energy (EKE). Based on satellite altimeter observations and outputs from the eddy-resolving ocean general circulation model (OGCM) for the Earth Simulator (OFES), the seasonal variability of EKE and its associated dynamic mechanism in the EAC region are studied. High EKE is mainly concentrated in the shear-region between the poleward EAC southern extension and the equatorward EAC recirculation along Australia's east coast, which is confined within the upper ocean (0-300 m). EKE in this area exhibits obvious seasonal variation, strong in austral summer with maximum (465±89 cm² s-²) in February and weak in winter with minimum (334±48 cm² s-²) in August. Energetics analysis from OFES suggests that the seasonal variability of EKE is modulated by the mixed instabilities composed of barotropic and baroclinic instabilities confined within the upper ocean, and barotropic instability (baroclinic instability) is the main energy source of EKE in austral summer (winter). The barotropic process is mainly controlled by the zonal shear of meridional velocities of the EAC southern extension and the EAC recirculation. The poleward EAC southern extension and the equatorward EAC recirculation are synchronously strengthened (weakened) due to the local positive (negative) sea level anomalies (SLA) under geostrophic equilibrium, and the barotropic instability dominated by zonal shear is enhanced (slackened), which results in a high (low) level of EKE in the EAC region.

Published in Frontiers in Marine Science

ISSN: 2296-7745 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Natural history (General): General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution
Website: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science

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