Geostrophic Spirals Generated by the Horizontal Diffusion of Vortex Stretching in the Yellow Sea

作     者：Xiangzhou SONG Rui Xin HUANG Dexing WU Fangli QIAO Guansuo WANG 

作者机构：Physical Oceanography Laboratory Ocean University of China State Oceanic AdministrationMinistry of Natural Resources Department of Physical Oceanography Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution First Institute of OceanographyState Oceanic Administration 

出 版 物：《Advances in Atmospheric Sciences》 (大气科学进展（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2019年第36卷第2期

页      面：219-230页

核心收录：

学科分类：07[理学] 0702[理学-物理学] 

基　　金：funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.41306003 and 41430963) the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities (Grant Nos.0905-841313038,1100-841262028 and 0905-201462003) the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No.2013M531647) the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong (Grant No.BS2013HZ015) 

主　　题：geostrophic spirals horizontal diffusion vortex stretching and surface cooling effect 

摘      要：Horizontal velocity spirals with a clockwise rotation(downward looking) rate of 1.7?m^(-1), on average, were observed in the western and northern Yellow Sea from December 2006 to February 2007. With the observed thermal wind relation,the beta-spiral theory was used to explain the dynamics of spirals. It was found that the horizontal diffusion of geostrophic vortex stretching is likely to be a major mechanism for generating geostrophic spirals. Vertical advection associated with surface/bottom Ekman pumping and topography-induced upwelling is too weak to support these spirals. Strong wind stirring and large heat loss in wintertime lead to weak stratification and diminish the effects of vertical advection. The cooling effect and vertical diffusion are offset by an overwhelming contribution of horizontal diffusion in connection with vortex stretching. The Richardson number-dependent vertical eddy diffusivity reaches a magnitude of 10^(-4) m^2 s^(-1) on average. An eddy diffusivity of 2870 m^2 s^(-1) is required for dynamic balance by estimating the residual term. This obtained value of 10-4 m^2 s^(-1) is in good agreement with the estimation in terms of observed eddy activities. The suppressed and unsuppressed diffusivities in the observation region are 2752 and 2881 m^2 s^(-1), respectively, which supports a closed budget for velocity rotation.