Primary Study of the Mechanism of Eddy Shedding from the Kuroshio Bend in Luzon Strait |
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| Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Yinglai?JiaEmail author Qinyu?Liu Wei?Liu |
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| Institution: | (1) Physical Oceanography Laboratory, Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction and Climate Laboratory, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, P.R. China |
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| Abstract: | The mechanism of the anticyclonic eddy's shedding from the Kuroshio bend in Luzon Strait has been studied using a nonlinear
2 1/2 layer model, in a domain including the North Pacific and South China Sea. The model is forced by steady zonal wind in
the North Pacific. Energy analysis is adopted to detect the mechanism of the eddy shedding. Twelve experiments with unique
changes of wind forcing speed (to obtain different Kuroshio transports at Luzon Strait) were performed to examine the relationship
between the Kuroshio transport (KT) and the eddy shedding events. In the reference experiment with KT of 22.7 Sv (forced with
zonal wind idealized from the annual mean wind stress from the COADS data set), the interval of eddy shedding is 70 days and
the shed eddy centers at (20°N, 117.5°E). When the Kuroshio bend extends westward, the southern cyclonic perturbation grows
so rapidly as to form a cyclonic eddy (18.5°N, 120.5°E) because of the frontal instability in the south of the Kuroshio bend.
In the evolution of the cyclonic eddy, it cleaves the Kuroshio bend and triggers the separation of the anticyclonic eddy.
In statistical terms, anticyclonic eddy shedding occurs only when KT fluctuates within a moderate range, between 21 Sv and
28 Sv. When the KT is larger than 28 Sv, a stronger frontal instability south of the Kuroshio bend tends to generate a cyclonic
eddy of size similar to the width of the Luzon Strait. The bigger cyclonic eddy prevents the Kuroshio bend from extending
into the SCS and does not lead to eddy shedding. On the other hand, when the KT decreases to less than 21 Sv, the frontal
instability south of the Kuroshio bend is so weak that the size of corresponding cyclonic eddy is smaller than half the width
of the Luzon Strait. The cyclonic eddy, lacking power, fails to cleave the Kuroshio bend and cause separation of an anticyclonic
eddy; as a result, no eddy shedding occurred then, either. |
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| Keywords: | Kuroshio bend anticyclonic eddy shedding frontal instability Luzon Strait |
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