Exploration on the transportation capacity using an anticyclonic eddy of the South China Sea in January 2010

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1001-909X.2014.04.001

Abstract

Abstract: The transportation capacity of South China Sea mesoscale eddy was studied using Drifter buoys, combined with satellite altimeter data and tracer particles method. Both Drifter buoy data and the flow field showed the existence of the eddy transportation in the real ocean. The Drifter buoy moved into the anticyclonic eddy, and then followed the eddy to make 4 turns, in the end, the Drifter buoy moved towards the east of Hainan Island with arc-shaped trajectory. From the long-term simulation results using tracer particles method, we learned the particles in the eddy moved forwards in the same rotational direction, 93% particles(153) followed the eddy motion, and 7% particles(11) were separated from the eddy in midway. The eddy throwed the particles from inside to edge of eddy, some particles were out of the eddy from the place of the eddy edge, in which the speed turned from large to small. But most particles followed the edge of eddy with arc-shaped trajectory; finally, they were stabled at the very edge of the eddy.

Key words: South China Sea, Drifter buoy, tracer particle method, mesoscale eddy, transportation capacity

CLC Number:

P731

WANG Hui-nan, XU Dong-feng, CHEN Zhong-wei, XU Ming-quan, YANG Long-qi, CHEN Hong. Exploration on the transportation capacity using an anticyclonic eddy of the South China Sea in January 2010[J]. Journal of Marine Sciences, 2014, 32(4): 1-10.

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