Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2013, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (2): 47-54.doi: 10.11978/j.issn.1009-5470.2013.02.005cstr: 32234.14.j.issn.1009-5470.2013.02.005

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The sea surface temperature, eddy kinetic energy and available gravitational potential energy of cold-core eddies in response to tropical cyclones in the South China Sea

ZHU Hai-bin1,2, SHANG Xiao-dong1, CHEN Gui-ying1, XU Chi1,2   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, Guangzhou 510301, China; 2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
  • Received:2011-02-18 Revised:2013-06-10 Online:2013-06-10 Published:2013-06-10

Abstract:

We chose 12 cases to analyze the responses of sea surface temperature (SST) in cord-core eddies to tropical cyclones (TCs). The maximum SST reduction in the cold-core eddy regions ranged from 2.7 to 9.15℃, while the mean SST reduction of the cold-core eddy regions was 1.35-5.89℃. The inverse correlation between the SST reduction in the cold-core eddy region and the moving speed of TC was studied using these 12 cases: the slower the moving speed of TC was, the more reduction the SST in the cold-core eddy region had. And there was a positive correlation between the SST reduction in the cold-core eddy region and the mean maximum wind speed of the TC: the weaker the mean maximum wind speed was, the less the SST decreased. Under the influence of TC, the eddy kinetic energy (EKE) and available gravitational potential energy (AGPE) of core-core eddies obviously increased, and the AGPE increased more than the EKE. The change of EKE (AGPE) after the TC passed to that before the TC correlated well with the average SST cooling in the cold-core eddy region, which reflects that under the influence of TC, the increases of EKE and AGPE can be used as indicators for the SST cooling in the cold-core eddy region.

Key words: tropical cyclone, cold-core eddy, response of the upper ocean

CLC Number: 

  • P731