Eddy effects on sea surface temperature and sea surface wind in the continental slope region of the northern South China Sea

Abstract

Warm and cold sea surface temperature (SST) tongues on weather timescales are detected in the continental slope region of the northern South China Sea (NSCS), and their effects on sea surface wind are studied, using satellite observations. Crossing the basin-scale SST front, geostrophic currents between cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies induce the warm and cold SST tongues during the northeast monsoon. Corresponding to the warm and cold SST tongues, the sea surface wind is highly uneven in spatial distribution. Its speed is faster (slower) over the warm (cold) SST tongues than the surrounding areas. The SST and sea surface wind non-uniformity, in space, shifts southwestward with eddy motion, along the continental slope. These new findings from satellite observations give us an opportunity to study oceanic eddy's roles in ocean-atmosphere interaction on weather timescales. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.