Across-shore Propagation of Subthermocline Eddies in the California Current System

Though subthermocline eddies (STEs) have often been observed in the world oceans, characteristics of STEs such as their patterns of generation and propagation are less understood. Here, the across-shore propagation of STEs in the California Current System (CCS) is observed and described using 13 years of sustained coastal glider measurements on three glider transect lines off central and southern California as part of the California Underwater Glider Network (CUGN). The across-shore propagation speed of anticyclonic STEs is estimated as 1.35-1.49 ± 0.33 cm s−1 over the three transects, Line 66.7, Line 80.0, and Line 90.0, close to the westward long first baroclinic Rossby wave speed in the region. Anticyclonic STEs are found with high salinity, high temperature, and low dissolved oxygen anomalies in their cores, consistent with transporting California Undercurrent water from the coast to offshore. Comparisons to satellite sea-level anomaly indicate that STEs are only weakly correlated to a sea surface height expression. The observations suggest that STEs are important for the salt balance and mixing of water masses across-shore in the CCS.

Random Movement of Mesoscale Eddies in the Global Ocean

In this study we track and analyze eddy movement in the global ocean using 20 years of altimeter data and show that, in addition to the well-known westward propagation and slight polarity-based meridional deflections, mesoscale eddies also move randomly in all directions at all latitudes as a result of eddy–eddy interaction. The speed of this random eddy movement decreases with latitude and equals the baroclinic Rossby wave speed at about 25° of latitude. The tracked eddies are on average isotropic at mid- and high latitudes, but become noticeably more elongated in the zonal direction at low latitudes. Our analyses suggest a critical latitude of approximately 25° that separates the global ocean into a low-latitude anisotropic wavelike regime and a high-latitude isotropic turbulence regime. One important consequence of random eddy movement is that it results in lateral diffusion of eddy energy. The associated eddy energy diffusivity, estimated using two different methods, is found to be a function of latitude. The zonal-mean eddy energy diffusivity varies from over 1500 m2 s−1 at low latitudes to around 500 m2 s−1 at high latitudes, but significantly larger values are found in the eddy energy hotspots at all latitudes, in excess of 5000 m2 s−1. Results from this study have important implications for recently developed energetically consistent mesoscale eddy parameterization schemes which require solving the eddy energy budget.

Random movement of mesoscale eddies in the global ocean

<p>In this study we track and analyze eddy movement in the global ocean using 20 years of altimeter data and show that, in addition to the well-known westward propagation and slight polarity-based meridional deflections, mesoscale eddies also move randomly in all directions at all latitudes as a result of eddy-eddy interaction. The speed of this random eddy movement decreases with latitude and equals the baroclinic Rossby wave speed at about 25° of latitude. The tracked eddies are on average isotropic at mid and high latitudes, but become noticeably more elongated in the zonal direction at low latitudes. Our analyses suggest a critical latitude of approximately 25° that separates the global ocean into a low-latitude anisotropic wavelike regime and a high-latitude isotropic turbulence regime. One important consequence of random eddy movement is that it results in lateral diffusion of eddy energy. The associated eddy energy diffusivity, estimated using two different methods, is found to be a function of latitude. The zonal-mean eddy energy diffusivity varies from over 1500 m<sup>2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> at low latitudes to around 500 m<sup>2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> at high latitudes, but significantly larger values are found in the eddy energy hotspots at all latitudes, in excess of 5000 m<sup>2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup>. Results from this study have important implications for recently-developed energetically-consistent mesoscale eddy parameterization schemes which require solving the eddy energy budget.  </p>

The characteristics of the mid-depth striations in the North Indian Ocean

<p>Argo trajectory data is used to estimate the velocities of mid-depth (1000db) currents in the North Indian Ocean (NIO). Based on these estimated velocities rather than an assumed level of “no motion”, the structure of upper ocean absolute geostrophic currents can be derived more accurately from the Argo temperature and salinity profiles. The derived flow field reveals that eastward zonal velocities have a striation-like structure in the Arabian Sea, while barely observed in the Bay of Bengal. The striation-like structure is most prominent in the layer from 500db, with a meridional scale of about 300km. Both the meridional scale and the distribution of these mid-depth striations are unique as compared to the other ocean basins. The nonlinear 1 1/2 -layer reduced gravity model and the baroclinic Rossby wave triad interaction theory capture the essential factors controlling the characteristics of the quasi-zonal striation structure. Compared to the Pacific Ocean, the narrower meridional scale in the NIO is because of the smaller basin scale in the equatorial zone rather than semiannual wind stress forcing period or slope of the eastern boundary. Coastal trapped Kelvin waves contribute significantly to the generation of the zonal striation in the Arabian Sea.</p>

A Comparative Analysis of Kuroshio Extension Indices from a Modeling Perspective

Dynamical indices previously introduced to characterize the Kuroshio Extension (KE) decadal variability (DV) from altimeter data are comparatively analyzed to assess their ability to reveal the same phenomenon from model outputs. Based on this analysis, a new combined index identifying each stage of the KE DV in numerical simulations is then proposed. The analysis begins by recognizing that the numerical simulation of the nonlinear frontal KE DV is very sensitive to changes in model implementation, whereas the linear broad-scale baroclinic Rossby wave field known to trigger the KE DV is a robust model feature. This selective model sensitivity poses a subtle problem concerning the diagnosis of the KE DV from model outputs, and requires the use of indices that unequivocally identify the KE frontal structure. The capability of six indices to achieve this task is thus investigated. Two model outputs representing paradigms of a fairly realistic simulation and of an unrealistic simulation in which only the broad-scale variability is present are used. A synthesized index is well captured by both simulations: it is therefore recognized to be unsuitable for model studies. An integrated SSH index does not resolve explicitly the frontal variability. Among the remaining indices, the KE path length (modified through the application of the wavelet transform) and the mean KE latitudinal position are shown to provide, in combination, an unambiguous identification of each stage of the KE DV (recognized to exhibit chaotic hysteresis) and are therefore suggested to be used with model outputs.

Annual Cycle in Southern Tropical Indian Ocean Bottom Pressure

The seasonal monsoon drives a dynamic response in the southern tropical Indian Ocean, previously observed in baroclinic Rossby wave signatures in annual sea level and thermocline depth anomalies. In this paper, monthly mass grids based on Release-05 Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data are used to study the annual cycle in southern tropical Indian Ocean bottom pressure. To interpret the satellite data, a linear model of the ocean’s response to wind forcing—based on the theory of vertical normal modes and comprising baroclinic and barotropic components—is considered. The model is evaluated using stratification from an ocean atlas and winds from an atmospheric reanalysis. Good correspondence between model and data is found over the southern tropical Indian Ocean: the model explains 81% of the annual variance in the data on average between 10° and 25°S. Model solutions suggest that, while the annual baroclinic Rossby wave has a seafloor signature, the annual cycle in the deep sea generally involves important barotropic dynamics, in contrast to the response in the upper ocean, which is largely baroclinic.

Generation of the North Equatorial Undercurrent Jets by Triad Baroclinic Rossby Wave Interactions

Formation processes responsible for the North Equatorial Undercurrent (NEUC) jets that appear across the tropical North Pacific Ocean near 9°, 13°, and 18°N are explored both theoretically and using numerical models with different complexities. Analyses of an eddy-resolving global ocean general circulation model output reveal that the NEUC jets have a mode-1 baroclinic vertical structure and are spatially persistent on the interannual and longer time scales. This OGCM-simulated vertical structure prompts the authors to adopt the simpler, nonlinear -layer reduced-gravity model, as well as the baroclinic Rossby wave triad interaction theory, to unravel the essential processes underlying the NEUC jets. The seed for the NEUC jets originates in annual baroclinic Rossby waves driven by the large-scale surface wind stress forcing. Emanating from the ocean basin’s eastern boundary, these wind-forced “primary” waves are subject to nonlinear triad interactions and break down offshore where the e-folding time scale of the most unstable triad instability matches the advective time scale of the primary waves. The breakdown boundary of the wind-forced primary waves tends to tilt northeast–southwest and, west of this boundary, finite-amplitude eddies emerge, whose meridional scales are set by the most unstable short secondary waves participating in the triad interactions along the breakdown boundary. With their meridional scales set similarly by the short secondary waves, the time-mean zonal jets of characteristics resembling the observed NEUC jets are formed by the converging potential vorticity fluxes of these finite-amplitude eddies.

Baroclinic Rossby Wave Forcing and Barotropic Rossby Wave Response to Stratospheric Vortex Variability

An analysis is performed on the dynamical coupling between the variability of the extratropical stratospheric and tropospheric circulations during the Northern Hemisphere winter. Obtained results provide evidence that in addition to the well-known Charney and Drazin mechanism by which vertical propagation of baroclinic Rossby waves is nonlinearly influenced by the zonal mean zonal wind, topographic forcing constitutes another important mechanism by which nonlinearity is introduced in the troposphere–stratosphere wave-driven coupled variability. On the one hand, vortex variability is forced by baroclinic Rossby wave bursts, with positive (negative) peaks of baroclinic Rossby wave energy occurring during rapid vortex decelerations (accelerations). On the other hand, barotropic Rossby waves of zonal wavenumbers s = 1 and 3 respond to the vortex state, and strong evidence is presented that such a response is mediated by changes of the topographic forcing due to zonal mean zonal wind anomalies progressing downward from the stratosphere. It is shown that wavenumbers s = 1 and 3 are the dominant Fourier components of the topography in the high-latitude belt where the zonal mean zonal wind anomalies are stronger; moreover, obtained results are in qualitative agreement with the analytical solution provided by the simple topographic wave model of Charney and Eliassen. Finally, evidence is provided that changes of barotropic long (s ≤ 3) Rossby waves associated with vortex variability reproduce a NAO-like dipole over the Atlantic Ocean but no dipole is formed over the Pacific Ocean. Moreover, results suggest that the nonlinear wave response to topographic forcing may explain the spatial changes of the NAO correlation patterns that have been found in previous studies.