Spatiotemporal variation of cold eddies in the upwelling zone off northeastern Taiwan revealed by the geostationary satellite imagery of ocean color and sea surface temperature

Abstract

The upwelling zone off northeastern Taiwan (UZONT) is one of the hot spots with mesoscale ocean eddies (MOEs) and eddy-induced transports in the north Pacific Ocean. We start from the temporal and spatial variations in MOEs in the UZONT, based on the Himawari-8 SST product and the GOCI chlorophyll-a product time series, respectively. Their relationship with three major factors, including the Kuroshio, typhoon, and El Niño/La Niña events, are then investigated. The spatiotemporal variations in MOEs serve as ideal indicators by which to understand the influences on the UZONT due to interannual environmental factors and climate change.