On the seasonal eddy variability in the Kuroshio Extension

Abstract

Using a recently developed tool, multiscale window transform (MWT), and the MWT-based canonical energy transfer theory, this study investigates the seasonal eddy variability in the Kuroshio Extension. Distinct seasonal cycles of eddy kinetic energy (EKE) are observed in the upstream and downstream regions of the Kuroshio Extension. In the upstream Kuroshio Extension, the EKE peaks in summer and reaches its minimum in winter over an annual cycle. By diagnosing the spatiotemporal structures of the canonical barotropic and baroclinic energy transfers, we found that internal processes due to mixed instabilities (i.e., both barotropic and baroclinic instabilities) are responsible for the seasonal eddy variability in this region. In the downstream Kuroshio Extension, the EKE exhibits a different annual cycle, peaking in spring and gradually decaying from summer to winter. Significant inverse barotropic energy transfer is found in this region throughout the year, leaving baroclinic instability the primary energy source for the regional seasonal eddy variability. Besides the internal redistribution, it is also evident that the external forcing may influence the Kuroshio Extension EKE seasonality-the EKE is found to be more damped by winds during winter than summer.