The global project of the Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography （ARGO） provides a unique opportunity to observe the absolute velocity in mid-depths of the world oceans. A total of 1597 velocity vectors at 10...The global project of the Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography （ARGO） provides a unique opportunity to observe the absolute velocity in mid-depths of the world oceans. A total of 1597 velocity vectors at 1000 （2000） db in the tropical Pacific derived from the ARGO float position information during the period November 2001 to October 2004 are used to evaluate the intermediate currents of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction reanalysis. To derive reliable velocity information from ARGO float trajectory points, a rigorous quality control scheme is applied, and by virtue of a correction method for reducing the drift error on the surface in obtaining the velocity vectors, their relative errors are less than 25%. Based on the comparisons from the quantitative velocity vectors and from the space-time average currents, some substantial discrepancies are revealed. The first is that the velocities of the reanalysis at mid-depths except near the equator are underestimated relative to the observed velocities by the floats. The average speed difference between NCEP and ARGO values ranges from about -2.3cm s^-1 to -1.8 cm s^-1. The second is that the velocity difference between the ocean model and the observations at 2000 dB seems smaller than that at 1000 dB. The third is that the zonal flow in the reanalysis is too dominant so that some eddies could not be simulated, such as the cyclonic eddy to the east of 160°E between 20°N and 30°N at 2000 dB. In addition, it is noticeable that many floats parking at 1000 dB cannot acquire credible mid-depth velocities due to the time information of their end of ascent （start of descent） on the surface in the trajectory files. Thus, relying on default times of parking, descent and ascent in the metadata files gravely confines their application to measuring mid-depth currents.展开更多
A dataset of surface current vectors with error estimate from 1999 to 2007 is derived from the trajectories of the Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography (Argo) drifting on surface over the global ocean. The err...A dataset of surface current vectors with error estimate from 1999 to 2007 is derived from the trajectories of the Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography (Argo) drifting on surface over the global ocean. The error of the estimated surface currents is about 4.7 cm s-1 which is equivalent to the accuracy of the currents determined from the surface drifters. Geographically, the Argo-derived surface currents can fill many gaps left by the Global Drifter Program due to the greater number of floats, and can provide a complementary in situ observational system for monitoring global ocean surface currents. The surface currents from the Argo floats are compared with the surface drifter-derived currents and the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean program (TAO) measurements. The comparisons show good agreement for both the current amplitude and the direction of surface currents. Results indicate the feasibility of obtaining ocean surface currents from the Argo array and of combining the surface currents from Argo and the ocean surface drifters for in situ mapping of the global surface currents. The authors also make the dataset available to users of interest for many types of applications.展开更多
We addressed the mesoscale structure variation of the central South China Sea(SCS) with the measurements by a long-lived Argo float and a high-resolution ATLAS buoy during 1998-2002.T-S diagram indicates cooling and f...We addressed the mesoscale structure variation of the central South China Sea(SCS) with the measurements by a long-lived Argo float and a high-resolution ATLAS buoy during 1998-2002.T-S diagram indicates cooling and freshening events in 2000 and 2001 with lower salinity(0.5-0.8) and lower temperature(1-1.7°C).Significant decrease in the net heat flux and increase in the precipitation suggest that the cooling and freshening is due to extra forcing by the atmosphere.Additional to large year-to-year changes,intraseasonal variability is moderate in the research area.The axis of the maximum intraseasonal temperature and salinity signals are mainly located on the thermocline.Typically,amplitude and period of intraseasonal temperature is about 2°C and 40-60 days,and that of salinity is 0.3-0.5 and 35-60 days.Rapidly-changing winds,heat flux,and precipitation are critical in controlling the intraseasonal fluctuations of the mixed layer of the area.Studies on heat and freshwater balance in the mixed-layer further suggest that horizontal advection plays an important role in intraseasonal fluctuation in the upper ocean.In addition,the energetic mesoscale propagation radiated from the east boundary is linked to the intraseasonal variability in winter.展开更多
In situ observations from Argo profiling floats combined with satellite retrieved SST and rain rate are used to investigate an upper ocean response to Typhoon Bolaven from 20 through 29 August 2012. After the passage ...In situ observations from Argo profiling floats combined with satellite retrieved SST and rain rate are used to investigate an upper ocean response to Typhoon Bolaven from 20 through 29 August 2012. After the passage of Typhoon Bolaven, the deepening of mixed layer depth（MLD）, and the cooling of mixed layer temperature（MLT） were observed. The changes in mixed layer salinity（MLS） showed an equivalent number of increasing and decreasing because the typhoon-induced salinity changes in the mixed layer were influenced by precipitation, evaporation, turbulent mixing and upwelling of thermocline water. The deepening of the MLD and the cooling of the MLT indicated a significant rightward bias, whereas the MLS was freshened to the left side of the typhoon track and increased on the other side. Intensive temperature and salinity profiles observed by Iridium floats make it possible to view response processes in the upper ocean after the passage of a typhoon. The cooling in the near-surface and the warming in the subsurface were observed by two Iridium floats located to the left side of the cyclonic track during the development stage of the storm, beyond the radius of maximum winds relative to the typhoon center. Water salinity increases at the base of the mixed layer and the top of the thermocline were the most obvious change observed by those two floats. On the right side of the track and near the typhoon center when the typhoon was intensified, the significant cooling from sea surface to a depth of 200×10^4 Pa, with the exception of the water at the top of the thermocline, was observed by the other Iridium float. Owing to the enhanced upwelling near the typhoon center, the water salinity in the near-surface increased noticeably. The heat pumping from the mixed layer into the thermocline induced by downwelling and the upwelling induced by the positive wind stress curl are the main causes for the different temperature and salinity variations on the different sides of the track. It seems that more time is required for the anomalies in the subsurface to be restored to pretyphoon conditions than for the anomalies in the mixed layer.展开更多
The three dimensional structure of the western boundary current east of the Vietnam coast was determined from measurements by Argo profiling floats which deployed near the east of the Vietnam Coast in October 2007. Th...The three dimensional structure of the western boundary current east of the Vietnam coast was determined from measurements by Argo profiling floats which deployed near the east of the Vietnam Coast in October 2007. The trajectories of the Argo floats provided robust evidence that there does exist southward flowing current along the Vietnam coast. The southward current begins at about 15°N, 111°E, flowing along the 1 000 m isobath and extending to 5°N south. The estimated surface and parking depth velocities obtained from the floats suggest that this southward current can extend to 1 000 m depth. The mean surface velocity of the western boundary current is about 49 cm/s, with the maximum speed exceeding 100 cm/s occurring at 11.6°N, 109.5°E in the direction of 245°. The mean parking depth (1 000 m) velocity is 12–16 cm/s with the maximum speed of 36 cm/s occurring at 12.1°N, 109.7°E in the direction of 239°. The water mass analysis suggests that the Kuroshio surface water and NPIW are not apparent in the western boundary current although this time was the favored season for the Kuroshio intrusion into Luzon Strait. The mean geostrophic currents suggest that the Kuroshio intrusion into Luzon Strait during October to December 2007 is very weak, as most of the intruding water was carried eastward at 14°N near the western boundary and little flowed southward along the western boundary, providing an explanation for the absence of Kuroshio surface water and NPIW in the water mass analysis. There is a strong cyclonic circulation in the SSCS during this time, which induces a strong mixing in the western boundary companied by a homogeneous salinity layer between 300–600 m in the salinity vertical distribution. No reversal undercurrent occurred at the intermediate depth along the western boundary east of the Vietnam coast during October to December 2007.展开更多
基金This research is supported by Natural Science Foundation of China(Contract No.40437017 and 40225015).
文摘The global project of the Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography （ARGO） provides a unique opportunity to observe the absolute velocity in mid-depths of the world oceans. A total of 1597 velocity vectors at 1000 （2000） db in the tropical Pacific derived from the ARGO float position information during the period November 2001 to October 2004 are used to evaluate the intermediate currents of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction reanalysis. To derive reliable velocity information from ARGO float trajectory points, a rigorous quality control scheme is applied, and by virtue of a correction method for reducing the drift error on the surface in obtaining the velocity vectors, their relative errors are less than 25%. Based on the comparisons from the quantitative velocity vectors and from the space-time average currents, some substantial discrepancies are revealed. The first is that the velocities of the reanalysis at mid-depths except near the equator are underestimated relative to the observed velocities by the floats. The average speed difference between NCEP and ARGO values ranges from about -2.3cm s^-1 to -1.8 cm s^-1. The second is that the velocity difference between the ocean model and the observations at 2000 dB seems smaller than that at 1000 dB. The third is that the zonal flow in the reanalysis is too dominant so that some eddies could not be simulated, such as the cyclonic eddy to the east of 160°E between 20°N and 30°N at 2000 dB. In addition, it is noticeable that many floats parking at 1000 dB cannot acquire credible mid-depth velocities due to the time information of their end of ascent （start of descent） on the surface in the trajectory files. Thus, relying on default times of parking, descent and ascent in the metadata files gravely confines their application to measuring mid-depth currents.
基金supported by Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant Nos. KZCX2-YW-202 and KZCX1-YW-12-03)National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2006CB403600)National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40221503 and 40776011)
文摘A dataset of surface current vectors with error estimate from 1999 to 2007 is derived from the trajectories of the Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography (Argo) drifting on surface over the global ocean. The error of the estimated surface currents is about 4.7 cm s-1 which is equivalent to the accuracy of the currents determined from the surface drifters. Geographically, the Argo-derived surface currents can fill many gaps left by the Global Drifter Program due to the greater number of floats, and can provide a complementary in situ observational system for monitoring global ocean surface currents. The surface currents from the Argo floats are compared with the surface drifter-derived currents and the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean program (TAO) measurements. The comparisons show good agreement for both the current amplitude and the direction of surface currents. Results indicate the feasibility of obtaining ocean surface currents from the Argo array and of combining the surface currents from Argo and the ocean surface drifters for in situ mapping of the global surface currents. The authors also make the dataset available to users of interest for many types of applications.
基金Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nos.KZCX1-YW-12-01,KZCX2-YW-BR-04)the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nos.SQ200916,SQ200809)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.40806003)the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) (No.2008AA09A402)
文摘We addressed the mesoscale structure variation of the central South China Sea(SCS) with the measurements by a long-lived Argo float and a high-resolution ATLAS buoy during 1998-2002.T-S diagram indicates cooling and freshening events in 2000 and 2001 with lower salinity(0.5-0.8) and lower temperature(1-1.7°C).Significant decrease in the net heat flux and increase in the precipitation suggest that the cooling and freshening is due to extra forcing by the atmosphere.Additional to large year-to-year changes,intraseasonal variability is moderate in the research area.The axis of the maximum intraseasonal temperature and salinity signals are mainly located on the thermocline.Typically,amplitude and period of intraseasonal temperature is about 2°C and 40-60 days,and that of salinity is 0.3-0.5 and 35-60 days.Rapidly-changing winds,heat flux,and precipitation are critical in controlling the intraseasonal fluctuations of the mixed layer of the area.Studies on heat and freshwater balance in the mixed-layer further suggest that horizontal advection plays an important role in intraseasonal fluctuation in the upper ocean.In addition,the energetic mesoscale propagation radiated from the east boundary is linked to the intraseasonal variability in winter.
基金The National Basic Research Program(973 Program)of China under contract No.2013CB430301the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No.41206022the Ministry of Science and Technology of China under contract No.2012FY112300
文摘In situ observations from Argo profiling floats combined with satellite retrieved SST and rain rate are used to investigate an upper ocean response to Typhoon Bolaven from 20 through 29 August 2012. After the passage of Typhoon Bolaven, the deepening of mixed layer depth（MLD）, and the cooling of mixed layer temperature（MLT） were observed. The changes in mixed layer salinity（MLS） showed an equivalent number of increasing and decreasing because the typhoon-induced salinity changes in the mixed layer were influenced by precipitation, evaporation, turbulent mixing and upwelling of thermocline water. The deepening of the MLD and the cooling of the MLT indicated a significant rightward bias, whereas the MLS was freshened to the left side of the typhoon track and increased on the other side. Intensive temperature and salinity profiles observed by Iridium floats make it possible to view response processes in the upper ocean after the passage of a typhoon. The cooling in the near-surface and the warming in the subsurface were observed by two Iridium floats located to the left side of the cyclonic track during the development stage of the storm, beyond the radius of maximum winds relative to the typhoon center. Water salinity increases at the base of the mixed layer and the top of the thermocline were the most obvious change observed by those two floats. On the right side of the track and near the typhoon center when the typhoon was intensified, the significant cooling from sea surface to a depth of 200×10^4 Pa, with the exception of the water at the top of the thermocline, was observed by the other Iridium float. Owing to the enhanced upwelling near the typhoon center, the water salinity in the near-surface increased noticeably. The heat pumping from the mixed layer into the thermocline induced by downwelling and the upwelling induced by the positive wind stress curl are the main causes for the different temperature and salinity variations on the different sides of the track. It seems that more time is required for the anomalies in the subsurface to be restored to pretyphoon conditions than for the anomalies in the mixed layer.
基金Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Projects of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Nos. KZCX2-YW-214, KZCX2-YW-Q11-02)NSFC (No. 40806010)+1 种基金the National Basic Research Program of China "973 Program" (No.2006CB403600)the CAS Key projects, and by the "Hundreds-Talent Program" project of CAS
文摘The three dimensional structure of the western boundary current east of the Vietnam coast was determined from measurements by Argo profiling floats which deployed near the east of the Vietnam Coast in October 2007. The trajectories of the Argo floats provided robust evidence that there does exist southward flowing current along the Vietnam coast. The southward current begins at about 15°N, 111°E, flowing along the 1 000 m isobath and extending to 5°N south. The estimated surface and parking depth velocities obtained from the floats suggest that this southward current can extend to 1 000 m depth. The mean surface velocity of the western boundary current is about 49 cm/s, with the maximum speed exceeding 100 cm/s occurring at 11.6°N, 109.5°E in the direction of 245°. The mean parking depth (1 000 m) velocity is 12–16 cm/s with the maximum speed of 36 cm/s occurring at 12.1°N, 109.7°E in the direction of 239°. The water mass analysis suggests that the Kuroshio surface water and NPIW are not apparent in the western boundary current although this time was the favored season for the Kuroshio intrusion into Luzon Strait. The mean geostrophic currents suggest that the Kuroshio intrusion into Luzon Strait during October to December 2007 is very weak, as most of the intruding water was carried eastward at 14°N near the western boundary and little flowed southward along the western boundary, providing an explanation for the absence of Kuroshio surface water and NPIW in the water mass analysis. There is a strong cyclonic circulation in the SSCS during this time, which induces a strong mixing in the western boundary companied by a homogeneous salinity layer between 300–600 m in the salinity vertical distribution. No reversal undercurrent occurred at the intermediate depth along the western boundary east of the Vietnam coast during October to December 2007.
