Spatial-temporal variations of short-lived mesoscale eddies and their environmental effects

Abstract

Mesoscale eddies (MEs) affect the transport and redistribution of oceanic matter and energy. The long-lived and long-distance propagation of individual eddies has garnered extensive attention; however, short-lived MEs (< 7 days) have been widely overlooked. In this study, the basic features of short-lived MEs and their spatial-temporal variations in a tropical eddy-rich region were extracted and analyzed for the first time. Short-lived cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies (CEs/AEs) were found to be widespread in two eddy belts in the tropical region of the western Pacific warm pool (WPWP). The CEs and AEs were formed by the shear instability between large-scale circulations and were distributed on both sides of the North Equatorial Countercurrent, with significant differences in spatial distribution. The variations in sea surface temperature, mixed layer depth, and surface chlorophyll-a concentration in the core of the WPWP were spatially and temporally related to the development of the two eddy belts. This new insight into short-lived MEs in the tropical region contributes to our current understanding of ocean eddies. The potential impacts of short-lived MEs on climate change, global air–sea interactions, and tropical cyclone formation should receive adequate attention and further assessment in future research.