Mesoscale Eddies in the South China Sea Observed with Altimeter Data

Abstract

A composite time series (1993 2000) of sea surface height anomaly from several satellites is used to identify eddies in the South China Sea (SCS). The eddy lifetime, radius, strength, and straight-line travel distance are estimated. Altogether 58 anticyclonic eddies and 28 cyclonic eddies are identified for this period. They are grouped into four geographical zones according to known eddy generation mechanisms, and their statistics are discussed accordingly. Our geographical classification is a useful first step in gaining an overview of their generation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2003
Accession Number
ADA479454

Entities

People

  • Guihua Wang
  • Jilan Su
  • Peter C. Chu

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Altimeters
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Boundaries
  • Demographic Cohorts
  • Geographic Regions
  • Height
  • Intrusion
  • Landforms
  • Measuring Instruments
  • Military Research
  • Observation
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Regions
  • Sea Level
  • South China Sea
  • Statistics

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Coastal Oceanography
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Seismology

Technology Areas

  • Space