Abstract:

This dataset includes modeling data for a 1km horizontal resolution run of an anticyclone in the South China Sea comparable in size and generation mechanism to a Loop Current Eddy. The model adopted was the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). Lagrangian particles were then released in the eddy at three depths (5, 50 and 100 m) to investigate the impact of submesoscale circulations on the eddy vertical transport. Results are relevant to understand how and how much Loop Eddies may contribute to the drawdown of heat and carbon. This dataset supports the publication: Zhong, Y., Bracco, A., Tian, J., Dong, J., Zhao, W., & Zhang, Z. (2017). Observed and simulated submesoscale vertical pump of an anticyclonic eddy in the South China Sea. Scientific Reports, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep44011

Suggested Citation:

Bracco, Annalisa. 2023. Modeling study of the submesoscale transport properties of mesoscale anticyclones. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/n76m34wx

Publications:

Zhong, Y., Bracco, A., Tian, J., Dong, J., Zhao, W., & Zhang, Z. (2017). Observed and simulated submesoscale vertical pump of an anticyclonic eddy in the South China Sea. Scientific Reports, 7(1). doi:10.1038/srep44011

Purpose:

Simulation at 1 km resolution of an anticyclone in the northern South China Sea to quantify the role of submesoscale circulations on the vertical transport in the eddy. Eulerian simulations and Lagrangian particle simulations. The comparison was made with data collected by a Chinese colleague in the South China Sea and with model simulations of the Gulf of Mexico.

Data Parameters and Units:

The data are in the usual output form from the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) and contain all 3-dimensional fields: scrum_time (elapsed time since 2000-01-01, [s]); zeta (free surface, [m]); ubar (vertically-integrated zonal momentum, [m/s]); vbar (vertically-integrated meridional momentum, [m/s]); u (zonal momentum, [m/s]); v (meridional momentum, [m/s]); temp (potential temperature, [degrees C]); salt (salinity, [PSU]); w (vertical momentum, [m/s]). For the Lagrangian files: x, y, z, t (longitude of particles degrees east, latitude of particles degrees north, depth of particles in m, elapsed time since 2000-01-01 in seconds).

Methods:

Simulations were performed using the public Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) in the IRD (Institute of Research for Development) 3.1.1 version available at CROCO, Coastal and Regional Ocean COmmunity model: ROMS_AGRIF project (https://www.croco-ocean.org/download/roms_agrif-project/). ROMS offline tracking module was used to calculate the Lagrangian trajectories from stored ROMS velocity fields. The code is referenced in Capet et al., 2004.

Provenance and Historical References:

Capet, X. J., Marchesiello, P., & McWilliams, J. C. (2004). Upwelling response to coastal wind profiles. Geophysical Research Letters, 31(13), doi:10.1029/2004gl020123

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