Work

Observational and Numerical Study of the Vertical Structure of Anticyclonic Eddy in Northern South China Sea and Its Response to Typhoon

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study investigated the vertical structure of an anticyclonic eddy (AE) in the northern South China Sea (SCS) in August 2017 and its response to Typhoon Hato using underwater glider and satellite altimeter data. Additionally, comparative experiments with and without typhoon forcing were conducted using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) for supplementary analysis. The observational results reveal that the maximum temperature and salinity differences between the center and edge of the AE did not occur at the sea surface but near the 100 m depth. The typhoon caused a significant temperature decrease above 200 m, with the maximum cooling (~2°C) occurring near 50 m. Near this depth, salinity initially increased due to upwelling but later decreased due to surface mixing. The most pronounced cooling and salinity changes occurred one day after the typhoon passage, followed by a gradual deepening of the mixed layer over the next four days, with conditions below the mixed layer largely returning to pre-typhoon states. Numerical modeling quantitatively assessed the typhoon's impacts. Upwelling rapidly intensified during the typhoon’s passage, the typhoon’s wind stress decreased kinetic energy at the AE site, while the input of positive vorticity reduced absolute vorticity, disrupting the surface AE structure. The flow field adjusted faster than temperature and salinity, with surface currents and the AE structure largely recovering within two days after the typhoon’s passage. These findings highlight the multifaceted impacts of typhoon on AE and provide critical insights for predicting the evolution of mesoscale oceanic structures under extreme weather events.

Source: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

DOI: 10.3390/jmse13091646

Authors: Weijie Ma, Wenjing Zhang, Shouxian Zhu

Institutions: National University of Defense Technology, Hohai University

Language: English

Topic: Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes

Subfield: Oceanography

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137