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The spatiotemporal features of submesoscale processes in the northeastern South China Sea

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Abstract

The spatiotemporal features of submesoscale processes (SMPs) in the northeastern South China Sea (SCS) are analyzed based on a high-resolution simulation from 2009 to 2012. The simulation results show that the SMPs with a vertical relative vorticity that matches the local planetary vorticity are ubiquitous in the upper ocean of the northeastern SCS. The SMPs distribution shows an asymmetry due to centrifugal instability, with stronger positive vorticity than negative vorticity. Meanwhile, the SMPs demonstrate an obvious seasonal variation. The SMPs are strong and active in winter but weak and inactive in summer. An investigation of the SMPs generation mechanisms reveals that flow straining and mixed layer depth account for this seasonal variation. The strong flow straining and deep mixed layer depth in winter favor the SMP generation via frontogenesis and mixed layer instability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Jihai Dong

  2. Institute of Oceanology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Yisen Zhong

Authors
  1. Jihai Dong
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  2. Yisen Zhong
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Correspondence to Jihai Dong.

Additional information

Foundation item: The National Key Research and Development Program of China under contract No. 2017YFA0604103; the National Basic Research Program (973 Program) of China under contract No. 2014CB745003; the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No. 91628302; the Startup Foundation for the Introducing Talent of the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology under contract No. 2243141601059.

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Dong, J., Zhong, Y. The spatiotemporal features of submesoscale processes in the northeastern South China Sea. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 37, 8–18 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-018-1277-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-018-1277-2

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