Eddy trains and striations in quasigeostrophic simulations and the ocean
File(s)chen_et_al_JPO_2016.pdf (3.62 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Chen, C
Kamenkovich, I
Berloff, P
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This study explores the relationship between coherent eddies and zonally elongated striations. The investigation involves an analysis of two baroclinic quasigeostrophic models of a zonal and double-gyre flow and a set of altimetry sea level anomaly data in the North Pacific. Striations are defined by either spatiotemporal filtering or empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs), with both approaches leading to consistent results. Coherent eddies, identified here by the modified Okubo–Weiss parameter, tend to propagate along well-defined paths, thus forming “eddy trains” that coincide with striations. The striations and eddy trains tend to drift away from the intergyre boundary at the same speed in both the model and observations. The EOF analysis further confirms that these striations in model simulations and altimetry are not an artifact of temporal averaging of random, spatially uncorrelated vortices. This study suggests instead that eddies organize into eddy trains, which manifest themselves as striations in low-pass filtered data and EOF modes.
Date Issued
2016-09-09
Date Acceptance
2016-07-07
Citation
Journal of Physical Oceanography, 2016, 46 (9), pp.2807-2825
ISSN
1520-0485
Publisher
American Meteorological Society
Start Page
2807
End Page
2825
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Physical Oceanography
Volume
46
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
© 2016 American Meteorological Society
Sponsor
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000384024900013&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
NE/J006602/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Oceanography
MULTIPLE ZONAL JETS
DYNAMIC TOPOGRAPHY
SPECTRAL-ANALYSIS
NORTH-ATLANTIC
EDDIES
TRANSPORT
MODEL
0405 Oceanography
Publication Status
Published