Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2009, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (5): 6-10.doi: 10.11978/j.issn.1009-5470.2009.05.006cstr: 32234.14.j.issn.1009-5470.2009.05.006

• Marine physics • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Eddy-induced cross-shelf phytoplankton transport along the downwelling coast off Western Australia

FENG Ming   

  1. CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research, Floreat, Western Australia, Australia
  • Received:2009-04-08 Revised:2009-09-07 Online:2009-11-10 Published:2009-10-10

Abstract:

Along the downwelling coast off Western Australia, late-autumn/early-winter chlorophyll a blooms are observed on the continental shelf south of Shark Bay (26°S), in contrast with summer blooms in the north. The late-autumn/early-winter blooms are in phase with seasonal strengthening of the Leeuwin Current and its eddy field. Anticyclonic eddies entrain the high phytoplankton biomass waters from the shelf and transport offshore into the oligotrophic, subtropical marine environment, as revealed by coalescing the finite-size Lyapunov exponent (FSLE) of the surface geostrophic flow field and the satellite chlorophyll a images.

Key words: Leeuwin Current, mesoscale eddies, chlorophyll, cross-shelf exchange, geostrophic current, finite-size Lyapunov exponent

CLC Number: 

  • P731